The first series of The Great Pottery Throw Down began on 3 November 2015 on BBC Two, and concluded on 8 December 2015. The series was hosted by Sara Cox and was judged by Keith Brymer Jones and Kate Malone. Also appearing was "kiln man Rich", Richard Miller, who acted as behind-the-scenes technician.[1]
| Potter | Age | Occupation | Hometown | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Greenwood | 31 | Vet | Bristol | |
| Jane Williams | 40 | College tutor | North Wales | |
| Jim Ranson | 52 | Part-time painter and decorator | Bognor Regis | |
| Joanna Morris | 42 | Parish Councillor | West Sussex | |
| Matthew Wilcock | 23 | Teacher | Giggleswick | |
| Nigel Matthews | 52 | Builder | Bakewell | |
| Rekha Sameer | 49 | Conceptual artist | Buckinghamshire | |
| Sally-Jo Bond | 33 | Interior designer | Petersfield | |
| Sandra Whyles | 52 | Project Manager | Leeds | |
| Tom Knowles Jackson | 41 | Retired Army Major | Gloucestershire |
| Elimination chart | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| Matthew | WIN | Winner | |||||
| Jim | WIN | Runner-Up | |||||
| Sally-Jo | Runner-Up | ||||||
| Tom | WIN | Runner-Up | |||||
| Jane | ELIM | ||||||
| Sandra | ELIM | ||||||
| James | ELIM | ||||||
| Joanna | EXIT | ||||||
| Nigel | ELIM | ||||||
| Rekha | ELIM | ||||||
Colour key:
Potter was eliminated
Potter won Pot of the Week
Potter walked from the series
Potter got through to the next round
Potter was one of the least favourite
Potter was one of the favourites
Potter was a series finalist
Potter was the series winner
Potter was eliminated
Potter walked from the series
Top Potter
Winner
| Potter | Main Make | Spot Test | Throw Down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set of Nested Bowls | Pulled Handles | Egg Cups | |
| James | rowspan="10" | ||
| Jane | |||
| Jim | |||
| Joanna | |||
| Matthew | |||
| Nigel | |||
| Rekha | |||
| Sally-Jo | |||
| Sandra | |||
| Tom |
| Potter | Main Make | Spot Test | Throw Down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wash Basin | Surface decorated tiles | Blind-folded cylinder | |
| James | rowspan="9" | ||
| Jane | |||
| Jim | |||
| Joanna | |||
| Matthew | |||
| Nigel | |||
| Sally-Jo | |||
| Sandra | |||
| Tom |
| Potter | Main Make | Spot Test | Throw Down |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Raku Long-neck Vases | Slip decorating | Candlesticks | |
| James | rowspan="8" | ||
| Jane | |||
| Jim | |||
| Joanna | |||
| Tom | |||
| Sally-Jo | |||
| Sandra | |||
| Matthew |
| Potter | Main Make | Spot Test | Throw Down |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft Slab-Built Garden Sculpture | Strawberry Pot | Widest Plate | |
| Jane | rowspan="6" | 5th | 33 cm 6th |
| Jim | 1st | 36 cm 5th | |
| Matthew | 4th | 36.5 cm 1st | |
| Sally-Jo | 3rd | 32 cm 4th | |
| Sandra | 6th | 34 cm 3rd | |
| Tom | 2nd | 35 cm 2nd |
| Potter | Main Make | Spot Test | Throw Down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bone China Chandelier | Banding | Closed Sphere | |
| Jane | rowspan="5" | 2nd | 4th |
| Jim | 1st | 1st | |
| Matthew | 5th | 2nd | |
| Sally-Jo | 4th | 5th | |
| Tom | 3rd | 3rd |
| Potter | Main Make | Spot Test | Throw Down |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-piece Porcelain Tea set | The Devil's Work | High-shouldered Jugs | |
| Jim | rowspan="5" | 4th | 4th |
| Matthew | 2nd | 2nd | |
| Sally-Jo | 1st | 3rd | |
| Tom | 3rd | 1st |
| Episode no. | Airdate | Total viewers (millions)[2] | BBC Two weekly ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 November 2015 | 2.29 | 8 | |
| 2 | 10 November 2015 | 2.47 | 10 | |
| 3 | 17 November 2015 | 2.49 | 7 | |
| 4 | 24 November 2015 | 2.16 | 11 | |
| 5 | 1 December 2015 | 2.37 | 7 | |
| 6 | 8 December 2015 | 2.55 | 7 |