The Great Pottery Throw Down Series 8 - Exit Week Three

Category: Press Pack Article

In the third episode of The Great Pottery Throw Down, the ten remaining potters attempted a children’s toy Noah’s ark toy and animals, and faced a surprise second challenge that sent them potty!   Judges Rich Miller and Keith Brymer Jones decided who was potter of the week and who will leave the pottery.

 

At the end of the episode host Siobhán McSweeney announced that Natalie was Potter of the Week, and sadly Victor had to leave the pottery.

 

On hearing the news, Victor said: ‘I am feeling a little bummed out.  Pottery is a tough game and I just didn’t bring it this week.   I had fun -  I met great Potters and I will dearly miss them - everyone has a special place in my heart.  I had such a fun journey!’

Here Victor talks about his time in the Pottery:

There were some new themes in this series – is there any particular week you enjoyed or found tricky during your time on GPTD.

I found all the weeks tricky as I do not usually decorate or hand build my pots in general. My experience on the show pushed my own personal boundaries and I didn’t know I could actually decorate the way that I did.

Best and worst moment overall for you during the series?

Best moments were actually believing in myself and being able to decorate with underglaze as well as hand build (kind of) before it all exploded (worst moment).

Do you think when you watch it  back on television will there be parts that you completely missed because you were concentrating on your pottery?

Oh definitely, I was fully concentrating 110% on myself and my make, I would love to see what others are doing as well. I also yapped a lot throughout an episode and wonder what would make the cut and what wouldn’t.

What was the funniest moment that happened throughout the series, can be on or off set?

The funniest moments would be my interaction with the other potters, I feel like there were too many moments to even list out. Another would be when my boat exploded, one of the firsts for me.

Would you encourage other amateur Potters out there to have a go on the series and why?

I would recommend amateur potters, this was a once in a lifetime experience not only on television but pushing the boundaries of your make in a short amount of time. I’m not really emotional with my pieces but throw down allows you to make pots that are deeply tied to your roots.

Will you make again anything from the series, when you are at home and have more time?

Definitely not a boat…

What were you most nervous about the whole experience and did it turn out ok in the end?

Most nervous about what the set would be like but as the days go by on set, I got more and more comfortable and how I acted changed as a result.

Do you feel you have progressed now as a Potter? 

I definitely felt like I progressed, the Throw Down pushed me out of my comfort zone as a potter. I would consider myself strictly a thrower but the show proved I was much more than just that.

How emotional were you when you had to leave, and how supportive was everyone?

I had a bit of a mental preparation when I saw that my boat was half cracked and exploded but everyone was super supportive. It was emotional in a sense that I wanted to make it at least to raku but it didn’t happen.

What will you take away from your experience of being on The Great Pottery Throw Down.

I am capable of a lot more than I thought I was capable of as a potter. Also it built a lot of my interpersonal confidence, if I can make pottery in front of a million cameras, I can do anything. ;)

What’s the biggest thing you have learned from being on the series?

Staying true to myself and being my own person. Whether on my pottery makes or just who I am and what I value, I’ll bring me.

What would you like to make next and how big or small?

I’m going to continue my craft of throwing wacky vases maybe experiment with going extra big in the future.

What’s next for you in the pottery world?

My ship has just set sail in the pottery world. ;) There is so much I want to experiment and try, meeting like minded potters on the show allowed me to see this is what I fully want to commit to and do in the future after my current full time design career.