All language subtitles for The.Great.Pottery.Throw.Down.S06E02.720p.ALL4.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-RNG

It's week two and we've already
lost a potter,

leaving us with just 11.

Now it's all about secrets this
week

and I have a few secrets of my
own,

but I keep them pretty well
hidden. Shh.

This is good telly, isn't it?

Wait till you see.

Has anyone seen my last
custard cream?

Welcome to The Great Pottery
Throw Down. Shh.

No!

Last time, the gates of
Gladstone

welcomed a brand-new
batch of potters...

Ooh. ..all eager to hit the
wheel... I'm starting to panic
now.

..and to throw a birthday tea
set.

Jesus Christ.

And while Lois' cake stand,
cups and cream pot...

It's quite a big ask, isn't it?
..secured her Potter of the
Week...

It's absolutely wonderful.
..Caitlin struggled.

Oh, no! Definitely feeling like
I'm under pressure.

But in the end, it was Vithu...
It's gonna be really, really
tight.

..who became the first potter
to leave the competition. It's
OK.

This week... Argh! BLEEP!

Ooh. ..the potters have their
engineering skills put to the
test.

This is a nightmare, isn't it?
As they slab build keepsake
boxes

with a hidden secret.
So I'm just trying to listen.

Is that too much?

And face a blindfolded
throw down challenge.

Torture, pottery torture.

Who will engineer a victory?

Yes! It worked. And who... I'm
really shaking. ..will fall
apart?

Don't mind me. No, I won't.
I'm just judging you.

# Making time

# Shooting lines

# People have their uses

# People have their uses. #

It's week two
and our potters are back.

Potter of the Week last week,
oh, my God.

Yeah, it's given me
a little boost for today.

I'm quite looking forward to
getting in there and cracking
on with the next thing.

First we go slab building.
I've slab built one box
in the last eight years,

so I'm not the biggest fan
of slab building.

Slab building is very precise.

I'm not the best mathematician,
but I've got a good eye.

I'm feeling a little bit more
confident than last week.

I love my pottery family
already.SHE GIGGLES

I know it's really cringe,
but it's true.

# We're gonna rock this town

# Rock it inside out

# Whoo! #

Welcome back, potters.

For this week's main make
challenge,

the judges would like you to
slab build a personal keepsake
box

that has a smaller, hidden,
secret box inside.

Now we want the boxes
to reflect a passion of yours,

so if you're really into '70s
glam rock, then this should be
your chosen passion.

We're really looking for a
statement piece, so think about
how you can bring your passion

into that form and decoration
of your keepsake boxes.

But your smaller box needs to
fit securely inside the larger
box,

and your outer lid needs to be
disguised, we don't want
to see where it is.

OK then, potters, you have been
given

six hours to make and refine
your personal keepsake boxes

and your time starts...now.

The potters' boxes, along with
their smaller secret siblings

and concealed lids, must be
made using the slab building
method.

No, I don't slab build.
I've never slab built,

well, I made a little butter
dish before but it's not my
thing.

So that means task number one
is rolling out their slabs.

It's hard to get a ball of clay

and make it as flat as
possible.

Slab building's, like, very
serious.

I think if I was really good at
it, I would love it, but I'm
not.

So hand-building challenge.

A keepsake box with a disguised
lid

with another little
secret box inside.

Yeah, I mean, we're gonna
learn more about our potters'
passions,

but we're also gonna find out
whether they can slab build.

And people often think slab
building is quite an easy
process,

but it's really not. There's
loads our potters are gonna
have to get right

to make sure their lidded boxes
are well constructed.

It's a civil engineering
project, isn't it?

It is. I mean, our potters
have to be super accurate

with all of those measurements

but they also need to be aware
that that clay is gonna warp
and move.

If they've got a complex
mechanism

or a complex way in which that
lid is fitting into the box,

that warping could cause
real issues.

What I love about some
of our examples here

is that the whole form and the
structure

is incorporated into the lid.
Yeah. I mean, this parrot here,
for example,

you wouldn't know that it was a
box,

but you lift the head, it's a
box. I think that integration
of the lid,

with the rest of the box, is
going to be key to success in

this challenge.
Dun-dun-dun-dun.

Hello, Fabiola. Oh, hi there.
Hi, Fabiola. How are you?

I'm all right, how are you?
Well, I'm very happy here.

Made it through the first week.
I did it and I'm here

and I'm going to fight for it.
Absolutely.

Tell us about your passions.
OK, I'm going to make a box

that symbolises dancing.

Dancing? Ah. Because dancing
is just a language of the
world.

Anywhere you go, you just move
your body and dance

and everyone will understand
you.

Wherever Fabiola goes, she
brings the Colombian carnival
vibes.

Whoo! But she has never happier
than when dancing with husband,
Mauricio.

I love you. I love you more.

Her keepsake box will feature
her daughters, Mariana and
Daniela,

dancing at either end,
and for extra movement,

she's aiming for a cylindrical
base that will rock back and
forth.

So, you don't have a flat
bottom? It's all...curved?

Yeah. Right, OK. It's all...
Believe me, it's all curved.

I love a curvy bottom. My
husband asked too, "Ooh, is
that too much?"

Also embracing a curvier design
is Fliss.

So I am making a wave box

and it's going to be coming
over like this. Wow.
Just like this actually. OK.

And it's going to be
representing my passion for the
ocean.

When she's not down at the
beach, carving up the waves,

Fliss loves to spend her
weekends doing a spot of
figurative sculpture.

This is an abstract hand.

She's hoping to use her
sculpting skills to create a
wave,

inside which will sit a
treasure chest, beneath a lid,

topped with a very special
dolphin.

So dolphins actually ride
waves, and my sister found out

she was pregnant when she saw
dolphins flying off waves so...
Wow. Yeah.

Cute. Did the dolphin tell her?
Yeah, the dolphin told her.
"You're pregnant."

We both tried to do the noise,
we can do it.

So you want another cup
of tea, Siobhan?Yeah.

Also on the hunt for tea is
Helen.

I go mudlarking on the Thames,

near the Cutty Sark,
cos it's a tea clipper,

my story was that a tea caddy
had fallen over the side

and sunk to the depths
of the Thames

and had ended up with all the,
sort of, detritus and

everything from the Thames all
over it.

Mudlarking might be
a relatively new hobby,

but Helen has already built up
quite the collection of
knick-knacks.

Look at the soldier. I'm going
to try and put that in one of
my pots.

Covered in seaweed, shells
and mudlarking finds,

the lid of Helen's tea caddy
will be completely disguised.

Hidden inside, a chest which
contains Helen's first souvenir
from the Thames.

It is amazing,
the things that you find.

Nothing precious, nothing
valuable, but it's still fun.

Helen may have had to dig
through the mud of the Thames
to find her treasures,

but Lois found hers
a little closer to home.

So my design is, kind of,
inspired by my gran.

I'd look around her house and
really enjoyed seeing all her

things she'd collected over the
years. Yeah.

I, kind of, got into antiques,
so I've brought this Chinese fu
dog.

That's, kind of,
like my main inspiration.

OK. I made mine a French
bulldog because I just think
they're cute.

Lois' boys, Jacob and Samuel,
love playing with their
grandparents' dog, Oscar. Up.

Hooray.

An allergy to pets means
they can't have a dog at home,

so Lois is making an
allergen-free pooch today.

Her French bulldog box will be
a culture clash of design
inspiration,

with its antique, ceramic style
body and its concealed lid,

which can only be opened
with a secret key

disguised as a Peruvian style
rug.

The rug itself is quite a good
way of concealing a lid. Yeah.

With the tassels.
No, no, no, absolutely.

But to have that added element,
it's ambitious.

You've got a lot to do.
Lots of technical elements.
Yeah.

So we're gonna leave you to
it. Yeah.

But with over 30 slabs making
up his keepsake box...

I'm not panicking yet.
I'll save that for later.

..Jon's ambitious design
is out of this world.

My thing is science fiction.
I love science fiction.

I've been reading science
fiction for 30 years or so,

so it's a science fiction
spaceship.

Used to designing bridges
and buildings,

Jon's structural engineering
background

should come in handy today

as there is no room for error
with his precisely-engineered
spacecraft,

which will be transporting
a smaller box

carved to look like
an alien artefact

in its hold,
at the stern of the ship.

There's lots of engineering in
this, lots of measurements and
accuracy,

I've got a former to form it
all in, so it's all very, very
methodical and planned,

as long as all the dimensions
are right, if I start going
wrong, it's gonna be obvious

cos it's gonna look all warped
and bent and I'll have to

pretend it's a crashed
spaceship then, so...

As well as getting their
calculations spot-on...

26 and a half, how did that
happen?

That one's 26.
This is a nightmare, isn't it?

..the potters need to handle
their slabs with caution.

I'm really shaking, honestly.

And this is the main part of my
box, so hopefully, I won't
break it.

I'm trying to be really
careful. If it's too wet and
you move

and you cut it, and you
whatever, you start distorting
the clay,

and it's no longer going to be
as lovely and precise as you
hoped.

Just trying to minimise
how much we move the slabs,

just trying to keep them
completely flat,

so they don't bend
and warp later on.

Yeah, I will be in... BLEEP!

I mean, whoops. Ooh.

Shall I help? Can I help?

It's all right, I'll do it.
I'll be responsible for any

bends in it. Let's move it
quickly.

I feel like the less time
it's bending...

I might do that one again.

Thanks.

Oh, I knew that was gonna
happen.

Potters, that's one hour gone.

Your first hour gone.

Ooh.
Whether shaped over a former...

It's important to have a
former, for this to dry
properly,

in the position you want to
have it. ..or laid out like
flat-pack furniture...

A lot of template pieces to do,
a lot.

..the potters have
a multitude of slabs to dry

before they can start to
construct, not one, but two
boxes.

I'm really worried about time,
really.

I mean, I have so many things
to do.

But Jon has an even
bigger to-do list.

I just dropped quite a few
of the pieces on the floor,

I've rescued some of them,
but some of them have gone,

so I'm just trying to make sure
I know what I've broken
and what I've got to make new,

so I don't miss anything out
for the next stage.

As Jon tries to resurrect
his spaceship...

I seem to have broken more
than I thought I had.

..Derek is hoping to bring a
childhood relic back to life.

So I am making
a 1970s portable telly.

It's really about childhood
memories... Right.

..and my passion for watching
telly.

It doesn't get enough credit
as a leisure activity.

In the days before the
Internet, television was a

window to the world for young
Derek.

He will be attempting
to recreate the sharp angles

of his retro television
and transistor radio,

which will be revealed
by removing the TV screen.

There's a lot of construction,
obviously. There is.

But there's a lot of elements
that really need not to warp.
Yeah.

Right, OK.

I'm looking at you, Derek. I
know you are. I'm looking.
Yeah. Yeah.

It's a risk doing something
that isn't organic in form.
Yes.

But there is something very
organic growing over on
Christophe's bench.

I have a passion for plants.

My house is a jungle.

I think I just counted out
over 70 plants at my place.

When he's not watering
his plethora of plants...

Here it is.

..Christophe and boyfriend,
Seb, love feeding their
friends.

That's yoghurt.

Today the only thing Christophe
will be feeding

will be his carnivorous
pitcher plant.

Its brightly coloured leaves
will form a concealed lid

under which will sit his secret
box, which has been ingested,

along with a few unlucky flies.

And it seems the pitcher plant

is already attracting
another potential victim.

Talking about fly, and she's
already interested about it.

Sorry, goodbye.

George, however, is making a
much more insect-friendly
habitat.

I keep bees, so it's going to
be a beehive with honeycomb in.

Wow. Hives come flat-packed,
which is perfect for slab
building. Ahh.

Well, your bench does look like
a hive of industry.

It looks like a mess.
Nicely done. See what I did?

Nicely done. I'll give him that
one.

George caught the beekeeping
bug aged eight, after his mum,
Clarissa,

took up the hobby.
They're lovely and quiet.

So far. Famous last words,
isn't it? SHE LAUGHS

His beehive will be constructed
from flat, clay slats

and to continue the theme,
his smaller box will be

imprinted with a honeycomb
effect.

If the Pottery was a hive,
who's the queen bee?

Oh, queen bee?
I think Keith might be queen
bee.

You can be queen, Siobhan.

Potters, I've got a secret for
you. You're halfway through.

We're halfway, that's fine.
Keeping my cool.

As Jon's replacement spaceship
panels hit the drying room...

A bit of scoring and slipping.

..attention turns to the
smaller keepsake boxes...

The little box is decorated
with beeswax,
you get a honeycomb pattern.

..which should complement the
overall theme of their design.

This is the radio.
Telly finished at midnight,

so after telly went off,
then radio was your friend.

Now is also the opportune
time... I'm gonna quickly make
a dolphin.

..for the potters to make any
sculptured or moulded
decorative elements.

So these are sprigs of things
that I've found in the Thames.

It's gonna be the dog's head.
He's got his ears here.

But Lois' Frenchie isn't the
only furry friend in the
Pottery today.

My design is about snoozing in
bed with my animals.

I had a lot of health problems,
in the last few years,

so I found comfort in having my
bed and just chilling

and having the pets with me and
they, kind of, take over the
bed.

Billy the cat,
and Heidi the Jack Russell

also like to snuggle up
on the sofa with Rebecca.

Although sometimes three's a
crowd.

The duvet on Rebecca's bed
will lift up to reveal wooden
slats,

beneath which her alarm-clock
shaped box will hide.

It's a bit disgusting really,
innit? Having animals on your
bed.

I didn't think of that.

Rebecca and her pets
might enjoy a duvet day...

I mean,
I just love my animals so much.

..but James prefers
to pound the pavements.

In my spare time,
I like to go running.
You really like running though?

Yeah, I don't like to do it
very often... Because it's
awful?

I can see why people wouldn't
like it. If evolution wanted us
to run,

they wouldn't have given us the
brain capacity to invent Uber.

James also likes to share
his passion for kickboxing

with daughters, Poppy and
Jasmine. Do I get a go,
Jasmine?

From the cushion soles
to the intricate stitching,

James is aiming to make his box

in the shape of his favourite
running shoes.

I've gotta get it made so then
I can actually do all the
embellishments

and that, hopefully, will make
it stand out. That's the idea.

While James is keen to keep up
his step count,

Caitlin is collecting air
miles. I'm inspired by, kind
of,

my love for travelling. Oh, OK.

The thing that I always have,
no matter what, is my backpack

with all my belongings in it,
so it's inspired by my
backpack.

And how are you constructing
the lid? Is that the top

section where you'd open the
backpack?

Well, that's what it would
normally be like. - Ahhh.

But...

But no, the lid is somewhere
else.

From the French Alps
to Southeast Asia,

Caitlin's trusty backpack has
travelled over 12,000 miles
with her.

With its textured canvas
surface design

and threadbare pockets,
Caitlin's hoping to capture the
essence

of her battered, old backpack.

Her concealed lid will be the
front pocket, behind which her
globe-inspired small box

will be locked securely away.

I've got this key, which is
attached to my water bottle on
the outside,

it's gonna slot into the side
of the bag,

then when I try and take it
out, I won't be able to take it

out without removing the water
bottle

and then I'll be able
to take the lid off.

And Lois is taking
the same approach.

This is my key type
locking mechanism thing.

We have spoken about it...
Yeah. ..and we're egging each
other on

and hoping that our pieces
are successful.

With their larger slabs dried
to leather hard...

It's a nice consistency now.

Like, it holds its shape still
and you can refine it quite
nicely

without it, like, slumping.

..the potters can start to
bring their boxes to life.

I've got these 3D printed
rollers to add some texture to
the surface.

It's quick progress that,
it feels like you've suddenly
made

a big step with very little
effort, I like doing that bit.

It's really difficult
to make fabric out of clay,

so I used this hessian when I
was rolling out the clay, so
hopefully,

it'll have more of a textured
look.

But while retaining texture
is important...

Hopefully with the wood
texture, it will add a little
bit more character.

..it's crucial their
intricately engineered jigsaw
of slabs

fit together flawlessly.

What are you most worried about
with this build?

Oh, gosh. I'm not a very good
engineer, unlike some very
good...

mathematicians in the room.
Like some actual engineers
here. Yeah.

I don't know,
this looks pretty impressive.

Oh, gosh, it's the first thing
I've ever made that's so
structured.

Really?
I'm just making supports
inside,

so that it's a lot more stable.

If the slabs aren't
supported adequately

during the construction
stage...

This is the internal structure
of the plants, it has to be
something solid enough

to be sure that it's going to
stand.

..or the joints are not
strong enough...

Adding quite a few coils just
to strengthen it further on the
inside.

It's like sealant for a
bathroom basically, but for
clay.

Holding my breath.

..the slabs could start moving,
causing structural issues.

And I've got some gaps here
that I'm going to have to fill
in.

We'll get there, we'll get
there.

With a very wonky telly.
Don't mind me.

No, I won't. I'm just judging
you.

Oh, for KEEPSAKE!

You've an hour left.
Did you roll your eyes?

No. Did you roll you eyes?
Definitely didn't, Miss.

That was a top quality pun
going on there. It was.

As the boxes take shape...

I am now putting in texture
to represent some of the
fabric.

..the potters can start to work
on their concealed lids.

So this is the screen of the
TV, which is also the lid,

so I'm just making these
devices, which will stop it
falling off.

But for some, this means
the nerve-racking task

of cutting into their
structure.

I'm really shaking.

This is a crucial moment, yeah.

Cutting blind through
the external walls...

..runs the risk of damaging any
internal support structures.

I'm just trying to listen...

So there's a bit of clay...

Oh, good.

Get off, get off, get off.

That's good.

Yeah, pleased with that.

Yeah, that was a big moment for
me.

Potters, you've half an hour
left. No, no, no, no, no.
Half an hour left.

As well as concealing their
lids... It's great to see it
coming together.

I'll have lots of coral and
seaweed going over the join,

so you won't see that join.

..Lois and Caitlin have
key mechanisms to disguise.

Does it fit?

Whoo!

Phew.

And all the potters have to use
every unforgiving minute...

I've got to get a move on.
..to ensure their boxes...

The shape is TV-esque.
..don't look like boxes.

Does it look like a backpack?

This is the aged beehive. It's
been out in the elements a long
time.

How are you getting on?
Almost there.

I don't want you to tell us
that we have ten minutes left
because I need more than that.

I'm not going to say
that you've ten minutes left.

OK, I lie, I would say that you
have ten minutes left, potters.

If it's not in the drying room,
it ain't getting fired.

My lid is hidden.
The dolphin will be hiding it.

Ooh, look at these,
look at all the creatures.

Made a bit of a mess. You've
made a wonderful mess. It's
fabulous. Thank you. I love it.

One minute left, potters,
one minute left.

If it's not in the drying
room...

It ain't getting fired!
That's it. That's it.

I think this is going to have
some bits coming off in the
kiln.

I think I'm finished.

Ooh, we've got a fly-eating
plant heading into the drying
room.

That looks amazing, Christophe.

Five, four, three,

two...

..one.

You did it.

That was insane!

I can't believe I've just done
that, to be honest.

The pin fit the hole
and if it survives the firing,

I will be so relieved.

I found that really fun because
I actually turned the slab
building

into sculpture.

The two dancers, one is Daniela
and one is Mariana,

which are my lovely daughters,
so I just pray

that everything goes well
in the kiln for my box.

The wheels are out,
the wheels are out.

The potters' second challenge
is, as ever, a mystery wrapped
in hessian.

You look scared. Good.

Your second challenge this week
is a throw down

and the judges would like you
to make three stacking mixing
bowls.

And, of course, to show us the
way is our master, Keith Brymer
Jones,

please take the wheel. OK.

So you've got three different
sizes, small, medium and large,

so we're really looking
for that difference in sizes.

- Hold on a second, Keith. Yeah.
- No!

This does all look
a bit straightforward,

it's almost like you could just
do it with your eyes closed.
Oh, no.

My kids are gonna love this.
OK, so... That is cruel.

The moment that clay goes on
the wheel, you'll have to have
this down,

so before you start, really
think about where everything
is.

It's just incredible how your
hands become far more sensitive

to the clay.
I hope you're all still there.

I'm gonna do quite a generous
rim on there cos it's a mixing
bowl.

In with my knuckle
and I'm just picking up that
clay,

and I'm just stopping
underneath the rim, well, I
hope I am anyway.

And I'm using my fingers to
really sense the contour of the
pot.

I suppose this is the hardest
part because you're literally
trying

to rib up the side to make it
nice and neat,

but the hand on the inside can
feel whether you've made that
bowl shape

and then, just tip that off.

Oh, no.

OK. Then feel for the next one.

What we're trying to, sort of,
explore with you

is what your sense and feel
and pressure and touch are
like.

It's actually quite relaxing.

They don't look that relaxed.
No.THEY CHUCKLE

And just wire it through.

Last but not least, the big
lump.

In you go with your finger,
making that base.

Collar up that clay,
make a nice, generous rim,

don't forget to breathe
and hey presto.

Wow.

So we're after a nice, defined
rim

and we want that nice curve
of a mixing bowl.

And they've got to look as
though they can stack inside
each other.

Small, medium and large.

OK, potters, back to your
benches.

The judges have given you
25 minutes. Oh!

And your time starts...now!

God!

Right, blindfolds on now.
I have no idea what's going on.

Ooh, my God.
Make sure that clay's centred,

that's the most important
thing. Oh!

I don't even know how deep I'm
going. That's looking really
good, Rebecca.

Thank you, I needed that.

How are you getting on?
I'm just trying to think about
what a bowl looks like.

They sort of look like this.

Oh, thank you, Siobhan.
Does that help? That's perfect.

Well, it's definitely a bowl
but what shape, is another
thing.

Oh, God, what happened there?

Oh, nice, Helen. Got
your first one off, that's
great.

James, you won't be able
to find your wheel again.

I'm going to do the medium one
now.

Ooh!

That's it, Christophe. Don't
wire through your pot, for
God's sake.

Don't tell me that. That's it.

Lovely. Have a feel
for the next size, great.

Oh, my gosh, do you know
you're on your second one?

And it's looking good.
Are you happy? Oh, yeah,
it looked beautiful.

James is on his second one.
Actually, it's not as bad
as I thought it'd be,

well, for all I know.

I'm not really feeling the
curve of the bowl. What are you
feeling?

I'm feeling a lot of lumps.
Bowls have lumps. We all have
lumps.

Yeah. Can you just stay here
cos you're making me feel more
calm?

Oh, do I? Nobody has ever
said that before.

Torture, pottery torture.

I'm just following what my body
and muscle memory

is telling me to do.

It is a really good skill,

to be aware of your hands
and where they are

and what the clay should feel
like,

and you should respond
to how the clay feels, I think.

You're halfway through,
potters. Oh! OK.

Oh, my word!
Lois, how many have you made?

One. Fabiola? Two.

James? On to three, third.
Whoa! He's on his third.

Nice one, James. Should be
all right, as long as I can
find it.

Here it is. Derek,
careful when you put it down.
Oh.

Your guardian angel. Oh, thank
you.

Do you know where
your third ball is, Fliss? No.

Fliss has walked out of the
Pottery. THEY LAUGH

I've had enough.

So tell me what you're doing
there now.

So I'm gonna endeavour to find
where my finger isn't moving.

This is somewhere close to
centre.

Oh, it isn't, it's miles off.
It's miles off.

Right, third, we're on to the
third one. We have to make this

one big. This is the hardest
one.

Oh, no. This is embarrassing.

I'm gonna have to rush
the third one, I imagine.

How long have they got,
Siobhan? Potters, you have five
minutes left.

Where? What?

Right, come on, we can do this.
I think we can. What can I do?

Just go away.

Speed of the wheel, Lois,
think about it.

It's such a big lump.

It would help if I could see.
It would help, wouldn't it?

I messed it up, the third one.
I cut it with a nail,

hoping to pull up a new lip.

Lois, last couple of seconds.

Great! It's fat and then thin.

Five, four, three, two,
one!

Down tools, well done.
Well well done.

Blindfolds off.

Oh, my God.

Phew. I mean, that's terrible.

Mine's just full of water.

I've thrown three cylinders.

Keith and Rich are looking for
three stackable mixing bowls,

with smooth, flared sides,
beautifully defined rims

and a consistency of form
across a set.

I can tell what you've been
trying to do here. Make bowls.

How long have you been doing
this? THEY LAUGH

But, you know, we can see here
that you were really trying to

go for that bulbous kind of
shape.

You were almost there. Yeah,
they look like they would
stack...

Yeah, absolutely.
..effectively, inside each
other.

And it's, kind of, minor
tweaks, to be spot-on. Yeah.

I was convinced, in my head,

I was flaring these bowls
out like that. Yeah. Massive.

Bizarre, isn't it?
And then you take the blindfold
off

and it's a utensil holder.
Yeah, you've made a flowerpot.

Yeah. On a positive note,
they're consistently
cylindrical,

so it is just a matter of...
They're great cylinders, Derek.

You've thrown them well, it's
just about readjusting that
perception in your head. Yeah.

Let's just do that, shall we? I
was hoping you'd spend a bit
longer,

so it would have evaporated.
Just dried out! Yeah. Let's
just do that.

These two are not too bad at
all. This one's lovely. Yeah.

They're just a little bit
narrow.

Well...Well...Well.

They're really, really good.

You've really managed
to get that bowl shape.

And actually, all of the rims
are beautifully matching.

And I would say, they would
stack really rather
beautifully.

Really wonderful effort.

They're really well thrown.

They're just not quite
that bowl shape.

But they are very consistent.
I mean, all of the rims
are the same width.

Well done, Fliss.
Thank you so much.

What I can tell from these is
that you made them exactly the
same way.

You can tell by the marks
and there's a certain style

running all the way through
them.

I mean, they're definitely
three different sizes,

just slightly different forms.

The impressive thing is you
haven't gone through the base.

I usually go through if I've
not...THEY LAUGH

They're not quite the shape
we were after.

But I actually rather like the
energy that that one's got.

Obviously completely
the wrong form so...

The bases look quite thin.
I mean, you know,

first time you've ever done it.
Yeah. And there's three,
kind of, bowls.

We can see what you've tried
to do there. I was learning
to do it on this one.

Right, on that one. Did a bit
better. Pressure on that one.

I know what I'm capable of and
I think I could have done

better than that. Don't beat
yourself up. OK.

I won't. Really. But I might.
No, don't!

The judges will now order
the potters from worst to
first.

In 11th place...Lois.

It's just that last one. OK.
Just a bit unhinged.

In 10th place...Derek.

In ninth place...George.

Eighth is Jon, seventh is
Fabiola,

Rebecca is sixth, Helen is
fifth,

and Fliss is fourth.

In third place...Christophe.

Really lovely effort.

So in second place...

..Caitlin. Well done, Caitlin.

So that leaves first place,
James. Fantastic, James.

Well done.Thank you.

It is comforting,
really comforting actually,

to think, "Oh, actually,
yes, I can do this."

It was all right, wasn't it?

That should be my new
icebreaker. "Hi, I'm Caitlin,

I can make three bowls
blindfolded."

That didn't go too great. I
like...

I like to challenge myself

so when I get given challenges,

I just wanna do the best I can

and it's just my personality
to be a little bit hard on
myself.

# I'll keep on

# Holding on. #

It's decoration day
for the keepsake boxes

and after a 24-hour
bisque-firing, kiln technician,
Rose,

is laying out the potters'
boxes,

ready for glazing.

I am very nervous. I actually
had a nightmare last night

that it exploded so...

I think anything's better
than what I dreamt last night.

I'm hoping that there hasn't
been too much warping

in the kiln because mine has
a lot of straight sides,

so if those are warped a bit,
then that could be a problem.

As long as it doesn't
come in pieces,

I will...I will be quite happy,
yeah.

Oh, there is utterly no
confidence in my build
whatsoever.

The hand building was
a challenge for me.

I think I just want to rip off
the hessian like ripping off a
Band-Aid,

so I can just get it over
and done with.

Welcome back, potters.

Your keepsake boxes
have been bisque-fired

and are ready for decorating.

We really want to see you using
those glazes and colours

to really enhance your theme.

Now, clever decoration at this
point will really help you

to disguise those lids.

When you remove the hessian,
you will see if your keepsake
boxes have survived the kiln.

Don't worry if it's not exactly
as you expected,

anything can happen in pottery,
so just keep going.

OK, potters, you have a range
of glazes and oxides

and three hours with which to
decorate your keepsake boxes.

And your time starts...now!

Potters, get decorating.

Oh, my God, I don't want to
look.

Oh, no.

There is a few cracks, yeah,
going up my wave.

It worked.

Oh, yeah. But his head's
massive.

But the bit that I was worried
about was my pin,

so that comes out which,
in my eyes, is a success.

No, no, no, no, no.

What's the problem?
The box doesn't quite fit.

There's a piece I meant to cut
out, so I just need to gently
persuade it with a rolling pin.

Yes!It worked!

Pretty good. That should
hopefully work now.

But not everybody is quite so
happy.

Lost the two heads

and a pair of arms.

But...it's rocking.

I mean, I cannot be
disappointed. I just carry on.
I will work hard.

The potters have an array of
glazes and oxides to help bring
their boxes to life.

So I'm just doing a very,
very light pink

on the duvet. I think my
signature style is quite
child-like.

So it will be
quite...illustratative.

And while some are enjoying the
predictability of
underglazes...

Underglazes are a bit like
paints, they do vary a bit as
they go through the fire,

but they come out quite close
to the colour you put them in.

..others are gambling with
the volatility of oxides.

The oxides are good.
These dark bits where it's
thicker, it goes really dark.

It might even go quite black,
but I, kind of, like that sort
of organic,

the way it looks afterwards,
so it will be a bit of a
surprise

how it comes out.

But Fliss' broken wave will
need more than just decoration.

Glaze, like, melts
and it fuses together,

so I think I'm just going to go
for it with the glazes

so that it seals really
perfectly.

Fliss may have a plan to glaze
her wave but Derek has a
problem

no amount of decoration can
fix.

So my lid is the screen,
so it's a bit wibbly-wobbly,

but it's bowed out a bit, so it
slides on and pops on there,

and then...

And then does that and doesn't
fall forward at all, honest.

Potters, you're halfway
through, halfway through. Ahhh.

Time's really creeping up,
so I need to get a wriggle on.

I just want the instruments to
pop,

but I'm shaking so much.

While all the potters are
aiming to enhance their boxes
with bold colours,

for some, it's an opportunity
to further camouflage their
lid.

So I'm hoping that the bits
and pieces that I'm painting,

so they'll pop, I'm hoping that
that will detract the eye,

so that the lid will be
a little bit of a secret.

But as the layers build up,
it's crucial they don't trample
on their texture.

So we can see the texture
on the clay,

and that's the fabric texture
I want to have,

so if I sponge it, then I'm
hoping it'll make it lighter

and it'll leave a more
textured feel.

So you've done a lot
of grey painting.

Are you going to...? Like, this
will be, like, a flat
grey-black colour?

I'm hoping. I've put some wash
on the end and some manganese,

which might, hopefully,
darken all of the detail. Oh.

Oh, you've made such, you know,
intricate details... Yes, yes.

I want those to come out
darker, so they stand out.

How did you do that again, you
had a special little...?

A little 3D printed roller.
Yeah, yeah.

I think it's my saviour really.

If this doesn't work, could you
just, like, 3D print a new
one? I did think about it.

Potters, that's half an hour
left, half an hour left.

Yeah.

I'm using copper carbonate and
white underglaze on my little
dolphin.

They should, hopefully, come
out like a metallically
bluey-grey.

Yeah, I'm just trying to get
all the extra glaze

from the slats, it's really
important you get all
those little details in.

I'm just making sure I don't
forget about this wee box.

I know, I'm not a square
earther but I only have flat
sides,

so I'll try to wrap a world
around it.

It's hard to know when to stop.

We don't want him to turn
just completely black.

It's probably best just to stop
where I am and get clear glaze
on properly.

Transparent glaze gives the
potters the option to add

a high-gloss sheen to their
colours. Oh, God.

In it goes.

But not everyone is going
for the full dunk.

So I'm putting transparent
glaze in patches.

Yeah, I don't want the wood
grain to have that glossy feel.

Five minutes left, potters.

These are the last little bits,
just the last finishing
touches.

OK. Three, two, one, dunk.

Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God.

One minute left.

I've glazed the inside, I've
waxed that, waxed that, let's
just go.

..seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one!

Tools down. Well done, potters.

Mine is so messy.

The potters must now take their
keepsake boxes to Rose

for one final firing.

Oh, yay, yay.

How did it go?
Well...it's all right.

When they next see them,
it'll be judgment time.

I think it went all right. I
don't know what it's going to
look like.

We'll see if everything comes
out in one piece.

Aye, this one's been a good
time.

I think there is the stress
that it will just look like a
blue brick,

to be honest, which we don't
want.

But, yeah, it'll be exciting
to see it and it's not long
now.

It's judgment day

and after a 24-hour gloss
firing,

the potters' keepsake boxes
are ready to come out of the
kiln.

I think I'm prepared a lot more
for what's about to happen.

There we go. It's gorgeous.
Oh, my gosh.

After the trouble I had making
it,

I was really happy with the way
decoration went,

so I'm just really looking
forward to seeing it.

It's in one piece, well,
it's in the pieces it should be
in.

Here we go. It never enters my
mind that I would be Potter of
the Week,

I just want to be average,
sail through in the middle,

and just get to enjoy the
experience

and enjoy everyone else's
achievements at the same time.

11 keepsake boxes now face the
judgment of Keith and Rich.

Potters, I make no secret
of the fact

that I think your keepsake
boxes are beautiful,

but I'm not the one judging,
these two are

so let's get on with it.
Lois, would you please bring

your keepsake box up to the
judges?

Here he is.

On first, sort of, approach,
you wouldn't know it's a box

and that's what's
so lovely about it.

It's just so sensible to use
that Peruvian blanket
to disguise the lid.

I've got to say as well, the
application of copper is

incredible. Had you not used
the oxide,

it wouldn't have enhanced
that detail,

it's just a really well
thought out approach.

Well, look, Lois, I know you
really got upset in the second
challenge,

didn't you? Mm.
And you came 11th, right?
Mm-hm.

Come on. You know, don't...

Don't give yourself such
a hard time all the time,

because this is fantastic.

It just really works really
well.

The thing actually
that strikes me most

is that you've managed to use
the key, if you like, to the
lid,

in such a, sort of, decorative
way

and you, literally, can't tell
whether that would come off or
not.

You've just thought about every
aspect. Yeah. I love the way

you've got those four little
lugs,

just to retain the keepsake
box. What's your keepsake?

It's my late grandma's ring.
Well, I'm already spoken for,
so...

Oh, I know. I'm not. Siobhan,
yeah.

Well done, Lois. Thank you.

The moment you started walking
towards the bench,

you could tell what it was. It
seems to have worked really,
really well.

I'm just really impressed
with that lid and the way it
fits.

I love the fact that you
haven't gone with a glossy
glaze.

You've, kind of, retained so
much texture, right down to the
stitching

and the fact that you've put
black underglaze into those,
it's just really lovely.

You've got your keepsake box.

What is in there? When I did
do a few local runs,

my daughters gave me
some little medals.

Those objects that your
children make for you because
they care so much

are the most beautiful
keepsakes.

Well, it's wonderful, I'm just
really impressed with that lid.
It's really good.

It's an amazing structure

and I don't think there's a
crack in sight. I see, you've
got the mechanism there

to get your lid off.

Yeah, the quality of the
construction is outstanding.

And these edges are so nice
and sharp.

So just tell us a little bit
about the box itself.

Yes, the box is supposed to be
an alien artefact. And what's
in the scroll?

The scroll is just a list of
science fiction books that I've

enjoyed reading, so... Oh,
lovely.

That's it.It has docked.

If there was any slight
comment about it,

it would have been just pare
some of the colour back on
this. Yeah.

You could have enhanced the
texture of the surface of the
spaceship

a little bit more.

It's great.
Really, really wonderful.

And there's something about
the use of colour, that pink,

it's so subtle and yet with the
animals on the bedspread,

absolutely fantastic.

I love the fact that the whole
top section lifts off

and, I mean, the slats,
they're beautiful.

The fact that you haven't
glazed the slats, you've really
thought about

the texture of the material
that you're trying to emulate.

And then we've got
your little box here,

I mean, that is so crisp,
you've just got that absolutely
spot-on.

And what's your keepsake?

That's my aquamarine engagement
ring

and I just love it.Yeah.

Last but not least, does it
fit?

There we go.

Fantastic. Well done, Rebecca.
Thank you. Thank you.

Well, I think it tells
your story beautifully.

It really feels like
it's just an object

that's fallen to the bottom
of a river

and it's got all of that
detritus and growth.

And the fact that you've
overlaid all these different
objects

to really conceal that lid
works really, really well.

And then, of course,
you've got your little box

and there's...
So, what's that in there then?

That was my first find,

it's just a little clay pipe.
Works really, really well.

Well done, Helen. It's great,
thank you. Thank you. Well
done.

Ooh. I mean, talk about
an engineered lid.

And it's well concealed.
Crikey, I mean, you wouldn't
know that that was a lid.

For me, the decoration
is a bit on the garish side.

I'm really drawn to the small
box. I know, I know.

Because that is just exquisite.

And who's this little fellow
in here then?

So when I was a kid,
I'd been fostered

and this woman came to see me
in the hospital when I was
at the age of four,

and she alerted social services

about the urgency for me
to be fostered. Right.

So she basically saved my life,
she offered me this little
teddy bear,

so since then I still have it.

Isn't it amazing how, you know,
just a simple object like that

can carry so much meaning
and emotion?

A really brave move.
A really brave construction.

So well done, Christophe.
Well done. Thank you.

Thank you. Well done. OK.

I was really concerned
about you trying to emulate,

kind of, man-made materials...
Yes.

So was I. ..something quite
organic. Right.

But actually, overall,
it's a beautiful quality of
finish.

And obviously we can see here,
your screen is a bit warped.

It has warped the wrong way.
Yeah.

But I love that. Oh, thank you.
The lines,

absolutely wonderfully
executed.

Is there anything in it? Yeah,
there is. It's a tie, my dad's.

He was on telly quite a bit in
the '70s and '80s as a
political analyst

and they gave him that tie
from the local station.

Does the box fit in?

Ah, yes. It does fit.

On the whole,
it's worked quite well,

but, yeah, love that.

What's wonderful,
to start off with,

is that you've chosen a
structure

that literally lends itself
to having that secret lid.

You know, I love this texture
of the honeycomb on the small
box.

And then, of course, you've got
all your bees in there. Wow.

I think I would want it to
remain a secret, I'm not sure

I'd want to take it out any
time soon.

I don't think we will.

And then we've got another
little secret, underneath here.
Ah.

So where does your box fit
within? Wow.

So squidge her up, I don't
think it's... Ooh, there she
is.

Great idea, though,
to conceal it within the lid.

Well done, George. Thanks so
much.

It dances. It dances.

Yeah. Yes. Headless dancers
but it dances. Exactly, yeah.

It's a real shame that you had
these breakages...

Yes. ..but I just admire your
ambitious approach to form.

In ceramics, it's always a bit
of a daunting process

when you're creating something
that moves around.

I particularly like those.
My two daughters. Beautiful.

I'm curious, what's your
keepsake?

My bag was stolen so my music
and my phone disappeared

and my girls, they bought
that little box for me to say,

"Mummy, don't worry, you will
have a little bit of music on
the bus."

Music wherever you go. Yeah.

I think it's Firestarter
by The Prodigy.

I believe it is.

Well, on first observation,
you've got a few stress cracks,

here, there and everywhere.
That's a bit of a shame.

But what I'm really liking is
this.

That colour, it looks
fantastic, really, really
lovely.

Is it a concealed lid?
Erm...maybe not as concealed

as we would have hoped.
What do you think, Rich?

I mean, I always think it's
really difficult when you're
emulating something as organic

as a wave, and I think,
in your construction,

the one saving grace
is this white area of foam

because it, kind of, makes it
feel much more stylised.

Let's have a look at your box.
What's the keepsake? Oh, sorry,

he's a little tortoise
who's been handed down,
generation by generation.

Aww, lovely.
Wow, what a lovely thing. Yeah.

It's a backpack,

and, you know, it's travelling
around the world,
it works really, really well.

Not only has the clay taken on
the impression of canvas,

you've got a softness
to construction.

You've, kind of, softened the
edges, so it feels like a
backpack should feel.

And then we've got
the concealed lid.

Wow. You would so obviously
think that this would be the
lid

and the fact that you've
disguised it there, it's
fantastic.

I love the fact that you've got
that little water bottle in a
pocket. This is wonderful.

It's just a really great idea.
Really, the more I look at it,

the more I think it's a really
wonderful object.

What's the red dot all about
there?

They're the places that I would
like to go, in future, if I
can. Right.

And I'm loving the little bell.
Where's that from then?

Anywhere I go, you will always
find me at a craft market
and this was one in Munich,

I decided to buy it as a
memento.

You know, at the end of the
day, it's all about what's in
your head,

and how you interpret that
with the clay,

and you've done it in such
an incredible way.

Really well done. Thank you.

I'm happy they liked it,
I'm really proud,

as the one I wanted
was attention to detail

and I got that out, but I don't
think I'll be Potter of the
Week, no.

I don't know if they're going
to take into account the heads.

That's my only worry, but I
don't know what is going to
happen.

A part of me obviously
wants to stay,

but then, if I have to leave,
I will leave happy

because I met so many people
and I learned so much.

I definitely feel like
I'm potentially one of the
people

who might be going home,
I don't know.

Er, yeah.

I've really enjoyed this week

with lots of secret passions
and blindfold throw downs,

but I get the impression that
it's actually quite a tough
week to judge.

Yeah, I mean, the overall
quality of the making has been
outstanding.

It really has. And I think it's
made all the more difficult

because all of the stories
attached to them are that
personal.

So let's go right, then, to the
top,

who do you think is in
contention for Potter of the
Week?

Well, Lois has to be in
contention. Yes.

My word. It is amazing.

The problem we have, with Lois,
is that she came last in the
second challenge. Ah, I see.

Another one up there for us
is Caitlin.

That stylised, cartoon version
of a backpack,

and that attention to detail,
with that flask on the side,

acting as a key, was just
fantastic.

And... She came second
in the second challenge,

so, all in all, she's had
a very, very good week.

Who do you think is in danger
of going home this week?

One of them has got to be
Fliss. There was quite a lot of
cracks in the construction.

Was the lid disguised?
I don't really think it was.

Fabiola had an interesting week
as well.

I mean, it's an ambitious form,
to make something that rocks...
Yeah.

..it's no mean feat,
but it's heartbreaking

when something so personal...
Yeah. ..kind of, goes wrong.

Well, as usual, I don't envy
you. I will be away drinking
tea

and having custard creams,
so good luck.

Potters, the judges have made
their decision.

This is the bit I hate the
most.

You have the sweet joy
of announcing a winner,

coupled with the bitter fact
that we have to say goodbye to
one of you.

This week's Potter of the Week
goes to...

..Caitlin. Well done!

Smile.

It's a good thing.
Yeah, you look shocked.

Well done. OK.

Now the bit without the smiles.

This week, the person
who is leaving the Pottery
is...

..Fliss.

Oh, wow.

Thanks, guys. I'm so sorry.

So gutted. I think everyone
here is so incredible

and the standards are just
beyond me, I just couldn't keep
up.

Thank you. You're just a star.
Oh, I love you.

I am very proud of myself,
yeah,

and I really understand clay
a lot more.

See you, Fabs.

A little bit sad. She is, like,
the same age as my daughter...

..so, you know,
I wanted her to do good.

But she's amazing and she does
beautiful things and I'm sure
I'm not going to...

This is not the last time
that I'm going to see her

and I wish her the best.

So as Fliss leaves the Pottery,

Caitlin's keepsake box takes
second spot in the Throw Down
Gallery.

Caitlin's design was
incredible.

She'd put texture, a really
beautiful, subtle texture

into every slab. I loved the
way that concealed the lid

and her little keepsake box
that slid inside was
so well put together,

just really simple, really
beautiful and effectively
built.

I don't know what to say. Ah,
man.

What...? Wow. Yeah.
What has happened?

Well done. Thank you very much.
It's fantastic.

Maybe it's just I need to have
more confidence in myself,

and being Potter of the Week,

it's just chipping away at
that, sort of, self-doubt.

I think that's what I feel
right now.

I'm here and I'm, sort of,
meant to be here, which is
really nice.

Next time, Retro Week sees the
potters take on a trio of
birds...

I'm soaring, I'm flying,
I'm winging it.

..and get thrown by an
old-school hot water bottle.

Who has their knob off? I've
got a knob off, but I'm doing
it again.

I'm picky about my knobs.
Whose feathers will be ruffled?

Don't drop it.

And who will reach new heights?

What's the difference between
lorikeets and parakeets?

There's a LORRA lorikeets.
A LORRA lorikeets.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media