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AnimalsTranscript
00:01Hello again, welcome back to the pottery. This week our potters will be sculpting animals
00:08and then raku-firing them. Yeah. Welcome to the Great Celebrity Pottery Throwdown.
00:18Last time, our celebrity potters tackled kids' desk sets.
00:24I'm just sticking these slabs together with hopes and prayers. Good vibes.
00:28Richard's detailed decoration. It's just joyous to look at.
00:32Earned him his second potter of the week.
00:35While potters of note, Denise. It's perfect.
00:38And Fatia. You should be proud of yourself.
00:41Picked up their first points. Thank you.
00:44Leaving Lucy and Paul bottom of the leaderboard.
00:47But with the competition heating up. Wow, it's so hot.
00:52There's still everything to play for.
00:54Oh my God.
01:07In the spinning world of makers
01:10We're all in the room to make it
01:14So just light up the fire
01:16It's down to the wire
01:27Our six celebrity potters are back at Gladstone, about to undergo a baptism of fire.
01:34Raku week.
01:35I'm a bit scared, you know. You don't look scared. You look glam.
01:39This week is Raku week. We're making a structure and then burning it ourselves.
01:43I'm so excited for Raku. I must admit I'm not great around fire.
01:47My hair, when it goes up, it goes up.
01:49But you know if you are up in flames, you do smell it, don't you?
01:55Don't really know what to expect.
01:57It feels like I'm learning more and more.
01:59And I love it.
02:00Pros at the front.
02:03This is a step up.
02:04This is like playing against Brazil in the World Cup.
02:07All I can do is try and get a point.
02:09Oh, hello. Are you going to be warm enough?
02:11Well, I usually get quite hot on build days.
02:14If you walk around like that, we're all going to get hot on build days.
02:16Watch out.
02:18It's been lovely so far that I can't take my foot off the gas,
02:22because I'll be worried if I upset Keith and Rich.
02:24It's time for Richard to take a back seat now, like let somebody else win.
02:28Haven't you got lovely arms?
02:29I'm coming for him.
02:30We should be sculpting Luton's arms.
02:37Welcome back, Potters.
02:38It's Raku week, but also you get to make animals.
02:43We're excited.
02:44Yes!
02:45You should be. You'll love it.
02:46We'd like you to make an animal sculpture.
02:48You should choose an animal that you feel some kind of connection with,
02:52maybe a beloved family pet or an elephant you had a moment with on safari.
02:57Oh!
02:59You can use a variety of hand-building techniques,
03:02but you must include coiling.
03:04Now, we want your animal sculptures to be as realistic as possible,
03:08so really think about how you're going to emulate scales, fur, feathers.
03:12Also, remember, you will be taking these sculptures out of those kilns at 1,000 degrees centigrade.
03:19Wow!
03:20So, really think about the posture of your animal and how you pick those animals up securely.
03:26That would break my heart if you did make something wonderful and then you lost it at the last minute.
03:31Potters, you have five and a half hours to make your animal sculpture and your time begins now.
03:39Oh, I can't lift you!
03:41Good luck, everyone. You're going to be fine.
03:43Well, you're probably going to be amazing. I don't know about us lot.
03:46This is your time to shine.
03:48In their first ever sculpting challenge,
03:51the celebrity potters must attach coils to a hand-built base
03:55to create the shape of their animals.
03:57It's quite exciting to see how it turns out. I'm looking forward to it.
04:01If you don't get it right, it could easily just go, bang, come out with nothing.
04:06Rich, Raku Week. Yes.
04:09Not only Raku Week, but Celebrity Raku Week.
04:12Yeah, I'm just so excited because this is their opportunity to actually fire their own work.
04:17Yeah, we're asking our celebrity potters to make an animal sculpture
04:21and we want it to be realistic.
04:23I really want to see them thinking about how they're going to create form.
04:27Coiling is lovely because you get time to make,
04:30but you do need to keep a really close eye on that shape.
04:33It's very easy to go outwards when you should be going inwards.
04:36Yeah. And Raku is a rigorous process.
04:38So they really need to make sure that all of those separate coils
04:41are really tightly joined because they're going to be susceptible to cracking.
04:45Yeah, absolutely. And then we're also asking them to apply texture.
04:49And there are really clever ways of being able to achieve that.
04:53Yeah. Any tools for mark making and incising,
04:56but also anything left as plain clay will turn a very rich black
05:01in the Raku firing process.
05:03And that can be lovely in contrast with oxides, under glazes, crackle glazes,
05:08and you never quite know what you're going to get.
05:10Feels like a real rite of passage, doesn't it, as a potter?
05:13I think it is a rite of passage.
05:14I just want our potters to be really, really excited by the whole event.
05:18I could tell you're excited.
05:20I am. Yeah, really. Seriously.
05:21I am too. I just love Raku.
05:25Hey, Paul. You all right? Yeah, good, thanks.
05:27So what are you making? I'm making a koala bear.
05:30Which will look amazing. Yeah. Yeah.
05:32My little girl asked me to do it.
05:34I said, what's your favourite animal? And then she said a giraffe.
05:37I said, I can't do a giraffe.
05:39And then she said a koala bear.
05:40So I thought, yeah. OK.
05:42She will be the toughest judge.
05:44The pressure is on.
05:46Hoping to impress daughter Sadie,
05:48Paul's cuddly koala will have its distinctive black nose, big ears,
05:52and he'll incise the surface of the clay to give the impression of fur.
05:57And how are you feeling about the coiling?
05:59A different level.
06:00The game's got a little bit harder in it.
06:02Yeah, yeah. But this could be your week.
06:04Seriously, Raku is always a bit of a wild card.
06:06Yeah, I was hoping for a little bit of explosion with theirs,
06:09and mine didn't explode.
06:11And I might nick two points.
06:12I think that's the only way.
06:17I'm trying my hardest, but you can't polish its hurt, can you?
06:20But you can roll it in glitter.
06:22LAUGHTER
06:24On that note, we'll leave you to it.
06:29This is my day.
06:30I'm doing it for Sadie.
06:32Paul isn't the only potter putting family at the heart of their design.
06:37Hi there.
06:38Hello, my darling.
06:40My gorgeous, how are you?
06:41I'm pretty good.
06:42Always excited by a pigeon.
06:44Why did you pick that?
06:46So, my design is called Meet Me At Three.
06:50Yeah.
06:51My dad would tell my mum before he left for work,
06:53be ready at three.
06:55And they'd go out on a date.
06:57So, that's like them.
06:58Trafalgar Square.
06:59This would be a man that would sell, like, bird feed.
07:01Yeah.
07:01And then the pigeons would come and feed off your hand.
07:03Your mum looks chuffed about that.
07:04I know.
07:05So, she's like...
07:06And he's like, just take that picture.
07:07Hurry up.
07:08So, this is like a bit of an homage to them.
07:11Fatia's pigeon features feathered wings, delicate plumage coloured with iridescent oxides,
07:16and will be perched between her parents' sculpted hands.
07:20Oh, love.
07:21There's heart in this, and I...
07:23I hope so.
07:23I like that very much.
07:25My dad's not with us no more, but hopefully my mum will like it.
07:28If she doesn't, she'll definitely like my make-up.
07:31Well, if she doesn't, I do.
07:34You say hop, and I'll hop.
07:36To create the shape of the animal bodies, the potters are building up coils of clay.
07:41When you stick them on, you've got to smooth it like that.
07:44Otherwise, it will just come apart in the kiln.
07:47And as their sculptures grow in size...
07:51I am coiling the base and building it up.
07:54Keeping control of the clay is vital to ensure their animals have lifelike proportions.
08:00You don't want a massive body and then a tiny little face.
08:02This is the difficult bit.
08:04It's got to go out and then back in again.
08:07Have you seen Paul's fruit bowl?
08:09Ridiculous.
08:12I can't even deny it, look. The size of that.
08:15I need a lifeguard with this.
08:16I built a jacuzzi. Does anybody want to come in it?
08:19I thought it was real life size.
08:21They're not as big as that in real life.
08:24Start again, I reckon.
08:27So far, doing a lot better than Paul.
08:30He's having a nightmare.
08:31I've created the whole body of my dinosaur.
08:35Hi, lovey.
08:36Hi!
08:36Hi, Lucy.
08:37Well, tell us about your design this week.
08:40Erm, well, I'm going to make a baby T-Rex.
08:42A baby T-Rex.
08:43Oh, OK.
08:43OK.
08:44I've always just loved dinosaurs.
08:45I've always found them fascinating.
08:47And I love ferns as well.
08:49The fact that they were around in prehistoric times.
08:53Yeah.
08:54And you can buy them, like, in a garden sensation.
08:56Yeah.
08:57Yeah.
08:57It's mad, isn't it?
08:58Yeah.
08:58So will there be ferns?
09:00No.
09:03Lucy's baby T-Rex will have ferocious teeth, scale-like skin, and she'll aim to replicate
09:08the impressive physique that made it king of the dinosaurs.
09:12So this is the head?
09:14Yeah.
09:16And this is the body?
09:17Yeah.
09:18Right.
09:19Yeah, so...
09:21Yeah.
09:23Right.
09:24I think, yeah, maybe a bit more work on the proportions.
09:28But it might be kind of worth letting the body dry off a little bit.
09:31So this can support the head?
09:33Yeah.
09:33Yeah.
09:34On paper, it could work really beautifully, because that kind of scaly, gnarly skin would
09:39really lend itself to Raccoon.
09:41To Raccoon.
09:41To Raccoon, yeah, yeah.
09:43Thanks.
09:43Good luck with it all.
09:44See you.
09:45Thanks.
09:45See you.
09:49Potters, the drying room is open.
09:52After the drying room.
09:53Before starting to assemble their animals.
09:56I've had to give everybody a chance and start again.
09:59The main bodies of their sculptures should be dry enough to support their own weight.
10:04May I?
10:05Oh.
10:05It's bloody hot in there.
10:07It's so out, isn't it?
10:11Hair issues.
10:12So while they're firming up, the potters can turn their attention to creating a kit of
10:17body parts.
10:18So that's going to be his legs.
10:21Because that's got to be a thigh.
10:23Just building my neck.
10:25And then hopefully once my head is attached, it's not going to be too heavy.
10:30I am doing my beloved French Bulldog, Matilda.
10:33I've got the legs done.
10:35The main thing with the Frenchies is you've got to get the ears right, because they're known
10:38for their ears.
10:39So I'm just trying to figure out how to do that.
10:43Did you know that picture was being taken?
10:48You're distracting me from my work, Paul.
10:51I'm taking this very seriously.
10:53Recreating her first-born fur baby in clay, Matilda, or Tilly as she's known, will have
10:59a flat nose, soft jowls, and those classic French Bulldog ears.
11:03That's such a sweet photo.
11:05She's cute, isn't she?
11:06Yeah.
11:06I found this over there.
11:08So I've used these ears to copy the curve.
11:10Right, right.
11:11I was thinking I might cut the holes in the top of the head and then put them in,
11:15because I just want to make sure they're really secure.
11:16That's a good idea.
11:17Yeah.
11:17Yeah, and you can still reinforce it at the back and it'd be much thicker, so it's robust
11:22enough to go through the process.
11:23Yeah.
11:24Best of luck with it.
11:29Denise isn't the only Potter hoping to impress the judges with a much-loved furry friend.
11:36Hi, Potter of the Week.
11:37Hello.
11:37Hello.
11:37What's going on here?
11:39I am making my cat, Oscar.
11:41I love a bit of a pinky, pinky-nosed cat.
11:44Bit of character.
11:45He was my cat when I was a little boy.
11:47We found him in the embers of our bonfire, so he was burned and nearly, nearly done for.
11:52Perished, yeah.
11:53And then we looked after him and we managed to get him back to full health.
11:57It's quite lovely to pay homage to a dead love.
12:00They're so important pets.
12:02Yeah.
12:03Richard's childhood friend Oscar will have his signature black and white markings, magnificent
12:08mane and a blue collar, complete with name tag.
12:12So the head's going to go there.
12:14I mean, that's pleasing, isn't it?
12:15And then the face will go on there.
12:17Yeah.
12:18And then we need some ears.
12:19We'll see whether any of it sticks together.
12:21Might do something slightly artistic with it and put a slash of fire down the side.
12:26I think he's absolutely lovely.
12:30Potters, you're halfway through.
12:33Halfway through.
12:35Pure stress.
12:37Now that their animal bodies have reached the leather-hard stage,
12:41it's time for the potters to bring their sculptures together.
12:44There we go.
12:45Attach the head now.
12:46And strong joins are vital to ensure every head, leg, arm and tail survives the rigorous Raku process.
12:53I'm slipping, dipping, tripping.
12:56I mean, if this don't stay strong, it's going to be a one-legged koala.
13:00I cannot imagine that this head is going to stay on.
13:05I'm going to put a collar around it to fake a join.
13:08I'm just touching the ears, trying to reinforce them.
13:12Are you doing Peter Rabbit?
13:13French Bulldog.
13:14Oh, they look like rabbits.
13:17Dad.
13:18Oh, I hope they stay on.
13:20While the potters are doing all they can to ensure their sculptures survive the intense Raku process.
13:26This is going to last longer than a Volvo, this.
13:30Layton's taking a chance on a risky but realistic detail.
13:36What are you up to here, mister?
13:38I am making a swan.
13:41Okay.
13:41So I'm thinking just to add a couple of feathers.
13:45Brilliant.
13:45Just got to think about kind of where you're going to pick it up.
13:47Yeah.
13:48Those tongs on that red hot sculpture, you might break the feathers.
13:51I'm going to risk it because I want it to look as authentic as possible.
13:57Layton's swan will have a long graceful neck, highly textured surface, and will pay tribute to the musical that kicked
14:04off his West End career.
14:06My first ever job when I was a kid was Billy Elliot.
14:08Yeah.
14:09And we got to dance to Swan Lake everything all night.
14:12Brilliant.
14:13So...
14:13Fantastic.
14:14I'm doing the Black Swan.
14:15Brilliant.
14:16Well, that'll work really well with the Raku process.
14:18That's what I thought.
14:19Yeah, yeah.
14:20In fact, I don't even need to paint it.
14:21Do I just throw it in?
14:22Yeah, yeah.
14:23Charcoal.
14:23You've got to think about where you can introduce some interest.
14:28Definitely.
14:28I've got my feathers.
14:29I've got my texture.
14:30I'm going to make it pop.
14:32Sounds really wonderful.
14:33Yeah, looking forward to it.
14:34I hope so.
14:37One hour left, everybody.
14:39One hour remaining.
14:42It's looking like a penguin now.
14:44I have to cut these wings a bit more.
14:46I call him Nelson, because he's based Trafalgar Square.
14:50Using their observational skills, the potters must now add characteristic details to truly bring their animals to life.
14:57You've got the schnoz on now, and also I love that little hand spread across his tummy.
15:02Yeah.
15:02Hark at you, otter.
15:04Get in there.
15:05Get in there.
15:05What I loved about him was that when he licked, he would forget to put his tongue back in.
15:09I want to put a little tongue sticking out.
15:12I want it to have character.
15:14Certainly it lies.
15:16Now let's do the mouth.
15:27It doesn't look right.
15:29Yeah.
15:31It could do with being a bit big ass.
15:32So I'm going to make a slab and then a coil and then put it on underneath.
15:36I mean, Lucy is now starting to add some pieces onto her body.
15:41There's going to be potential issues with the dryness of her current body and head and the new piece that
15:47she's creating.
15:48And I'm not sure whether she's sort of underestimated the violent effect of Raccoon and how that join is going
15:55to work.
15:55Half an hour left.
15:58Half an hour, potters.
15:59Oh God, that's not long.
16:02I need to do the feathers, the fingers.
16:05But I think he looks good.
16:06With their animal sculptures fully assembled.
16:09It's heavier, but it's a bit higher up, which is better, isn't it?
16:12The potters can now turn their attention to creating beautifully textured surfaces that will interact with the glazes during the
16:20Raccoon firing process.
16:22When it goes in, it looks like it's fur.
16:24This is my dog's brush.
16:26I am trying to create the impression of the short hair.
16:29Ah, there you go, teals.
16:31Bless you.
16:32I'm going to put some fire in this bit.
16:34Some burning embers so that I get the full story of the cat.
16:39The more texture, the more feathers, the more vibes.
16:42Look at the back of that.
16:44It's giving bud.
16:46How long do we have?
16:48Ten minutes, ladies and gentlemen.
16:50Ten minutes.
16:51I've got a lot still to do.
16:53I don't have enough time.
16:54You got this fatia.
16:55I hope so.
16:57I'm making my mum and dad hands now.
16:59I popped a stick here.
17:01It helps the drying process because I don't want my swan to explode.
17:05There's a little name tag saying Oscar 61805.
17:08When numbers had five digits, that's how old I am.
17:11I love it.
17:12This will now survive.
17:14It would have looked better with realty.
17:17But they're picky, aren't they, about stuff like that?
17:21I know I look like a professional, but I'm not.
17:24My God, my arms are tired.
17:26That's one minute.
17:28Of course, you've got to get your gear into the drying room.
17:31Oh, my God.
17:32Yeah.
17:33They whack it on.
17:34I'm nearly done.
17:35This is the last one.
17:36Oh, do you want me to put it in?
17:38Which you mean?
17:39I won't stamp on it.
17:40Look at your little koala.
17:42Lovely from the back.
17:43The koala?
17:44Yeah.
17:45A little bit of swan leg.
17:47Sashay away.
17:48Show them your walk.
17:50Five, six, seven, eight.
17:52Woo!
17:55Ten seconds.
17:56Well done, Potter.
17:58Oh, I like that.
17:59Oh, that is amazing.
18:01Oh, I love it.
18:03Good work.
18:05Your time is up, Potters.
18:07Your time is up.
18:09Great work today.
18:10You are dismissed.
18:11Well done, team.
18:13Well done.
18:14Thank you, my darling.
18:15See you later, alligator.
18:17It really did go over everything and coil properly.
18:21So, if anything cracks, honestly, it's just not my fault.
18:24At the start, got it wrong.
18:26Started again.
18:27At the end, it looked like a koala bear.
18:29So, yeah.
18:30Very pleased.
18:31I'm confident that it's going to stay together.
18:33I was really proud of everybody else's, actually.
18:37Paul's was amazing.
18:39And obviously, he's not usually very good at pottery.
18:42That's all.
18:44Goodbye.
18:48While their animal sculptures are being bisque-fired,
18:51our celebrities are back to tackle another mystery challenge.
18:55Right.
18:56Here we go.
18:56Ooh.
18:57Uh-oh.
18:58Uh-oh.
18:59We're throwing.
19:00That might not be the wheel under there.
19:02That could be anything under there.
19:03This is my worst nightmare.
19:04I'm so rubbish at throwing.
19:06I'm the same, honey.
19:07I can't wait.
19:08Of course you can't.
19:10You love it.
19:15Hello, Potters.
19:16It's time for your second challenge.
19:18This is a throw-down.
19:21You're going to be making milk jugs.
19:25Cute.
19:25So, it's time for a demo.
19:26Right.
19:27Off we go.
19:28Stick your clay on.
19:30Give it a good knead up and down.
19:31Now, look.
19:32That's off-centre.
19:33You can see that, can't you?
19:35This arm, shove it into your torso
19:37and just lean towards the centre of the wheel.
19:40It's like calming it down, isn't it?
19:42Yeah.
19:42Yeah, like that.
19:43Yeah.
19:44You then put a hole in the top of it
19:46and then bring that clay out.
19:48Whatever hand is working with the clay,
19:50the other hand is always supporting that work.
19:53Now, I want to slow that wheel down
19:55because I want to bring that clay inwards
19:58and collar it up.
19:59and I'm just squeezing the clay
20:01between my fingers and my thumb.
20:03Now, you've got that nice cone shape.
20:05Go in with your knuckle on the outside,
20:08your fingers on the inside
20:09and bring that clay up.
20:10Wow.
20:11And because the wheel isn't going round too fast,
20:14I'm managing to control the shape of the jug.
20:17So, you've got that nice taper there.
20:19Lovely.
20:20I'm now going to create that lip.
20:22With my thumb and my forefinger,
20:24I'm just gently pulling and squeezing that clay up.
20:27Not too much.
20:28Because if you pull it out too much,
20:30that'll get really thin and sharp
20:31and you don't want to split the clay.
20:34So, I'm just supporting both sides
20:35and just working that lip down.
20:38You make it look so easy.
20:40I know, but it's not.
20:41So, there you go.
20:42There's your jug.
20:43Fab.
20:46Great.
20:47So, what Rich and I are looking for
20:49is a nice tapered form
20:51and a nice well-finished off lip.
20:54Potters, back to your benches, please.
20:56Let's go.
20:56You've got 30 minutes
20:58Let's go, guys.
20:58To make as many identical milk jugs as you possibly can.
21:03And your time starts now.
21:07I didn't do it like that.
21:09Good luck, guys.
21:14This is my forte.
21:16I love being at the wheel.
21:17I don't drive, so this is the only wheel I've ever had.
21:22Most important thing is to get it centred.
21:23From there, it should just kind of fall into place.
21:26I'm saying put it in the centre,
21:27but I don't know where the centre is.
21:28That's worse.
21:29Look, I messed it up already.
21:32Paul, you actually look like a potter there, mate.
21:34Is that a good thing?
21:35It's really controlled.
21:37Yeah.
21:37It's going all right.
21:38It's where you have to bring the walls up.
21:40He said slow it down.
21:41Slow it down.
21:42And then centre your elbows.
21:44I'm going up very gently.
21:47Yeah.
21:47They all look a little bit more focused, don't they?
21:50Yeah.
21:51Compared to week one, their hands are much more steady.
21:54Yeah.
21:54They're managing to control the clay a bit better.
21:56It's just they don't seem to be able to keep it in the centre
21:59as they throw the walls up.
22:01But it feels like a massive step forward.
22:03I think it is.
22:07You have to dominate the clay.
22:11This one hasn't gone right.
22:12I'm going to do it again.
22:14Don't ruin that one, Paul.
22:15If you slow the wheel down a bit now.
22:17And just bring that clay.
22:20Oh, God.
22:21What?
22:22You've almost got it, mate.
22:23Don't lean slow.
22:24Yeah, yeah, yeah.
22:24No, I know.
22:26Just pinching from the side.
22:27I'm pulling it up.
22:29Leighton's managing to get control.
22:31He's gained a bit of height.
22:32Yeah, yeah.
22:32Well done, Leighton.
22:34Thanks.
22:35I'm going to give it a lip.
22:37I think I've got it.
22:39That's one.
22:42A little birdy beak.
22:43God, it's a pleasure to watch.
22:45Is it?
22:46I'm nearly jealous of you.
22:48Really?
22:49Would you like to have a go?
22:50No.
22:51You'd be good at this.
22:52Thanks.
22:54Has anybody managed to get anything off that looks like yours so far?
22:58You know what?
22:59Paul might.
23:00You wouldn't put any cream or custard in them, but I'll settle for that.
23:04I'm back.
23:05A little clay get the better of me.
23:08It's wobbling.
23:09I know at any point now I might get a gob full of clay.
23:13Brisk, I'm willing to take.
23:15I'll keep on messing this up.
23:16Maybe I'm going to try a different technique.
23:18Well done, Richard.
23:20That's almost good.
23:21That's close.
23:22And I'm very happy.
23:23Maybe if I just go like that.
23:26No.
23:26No.
23:28If the jug was a surrealist painting, Lucy would have it in the bag.
23:33Halfway through, Potters, you've had 15 minutes.
23:38I wouldn't say I've mastered it yet, but I've definitely gained in confidence for sure.
23:42You've just got to find your own way of doing it.
23:47I had it then.
23:49It's like I'm working in a factory at this point.
23:52Nice, Leighton.
23:53Really nice.
23:55These are looking consistently good.
23:57Yeah, I'm pleased.
23:58Very pleased.
23:59I'm usually good at my feet, not with my hands.
24:01It's a new you, baby.
24:03Yes, Patio.
24:04Thank you, Zolan.
24:05You got it.
24:06It's a bowl with a lip, but you got it.
24:08Shut up.
24:09It's all right, I'm not getting the height, am I?
24:11These are very much low bowls.
24:13I mean, that's like...
24:16unbelievable.
24:17How long have I got?
24:18Five minutes, please, Potters.
24:20That's a five-minute call.
24:22Five minutes?
24:22Yeah, I'll have two by then.
24:24Do you think they'll do that pie again at lunch?
24:28Lucy?
24:28Yeah?
24:29Are you done?
24:30Well, no, I haven't got one yet.
24:32That's actually not that bad, is it?
24:34There's a little bit of improvement.
24:35A tiny bit.
24:38That's good, Patio, that's the one.
24:40They're not exactly the shape the judges wanted,
24:43but I'm happy with that.
24:45As long as I get some out that will look consistent,
24:47then I don't mind.
24:49It's all about the trying.
24:51I know they're going to throw it straight into their dingy little bucket.
24:54Are you going to be a bit more forgiving with your bucket?
24:57No.
24:58One minute to go, Potters.
25:00Don't do one super fast.
25:01Yeah, let's get another one out.
25:03Better not be selling these.
25:05I've got a right wobble on.
25:06I'm clenching my buttocks as I'm watching that wobble.
25:09That's all right, that one, isn't it?
25:11Yes, I tried.
25:12I'll just put that on my Pottery album.
25:15Right, gang, time's up.
25:17Come on, it was a cracking little second challenge.
25:21You've done great.
25:22Well done, smashed it.
25:24Keith and Rich are looking for identical milk jugs with a tapered form and lips fit for purpose.
25:31Any that don't make the grade will be devoured by the bucket of doom.
25:37I have to say, Paul, when we were watching you, you looked brilliant.
25:41Did you find it different from week one?
25:44It is a massive improvement.
25:45Yeah, I got it.
25:46Yeah.
25:46There's a kind of irregularity to all of the wall thicknesses.
25:49Yeah.
25:50And actually, they've got a lot of volume.
25:52Yeah, yeah.
25:52You know, you've made a lot of the clay.
25:54I'm kind of loath to throw any of those in.
25:57All right, thank you.
25:57Yeah, well done, mate.
26:12I mean, they've got a certain sense of attitude.
26:15Yeah.
26:16You know?
26:16I think that'll go as well.
26:18Yeah.
26:18That's not too bad.
26:19Not too bad.
26:20That's not too bad.
26:20The height on it is really good.
26:22Yeah.
26:22The wall thickness is okay.
26:24Yeah.
26:24And it does actually look like a jug.
26:26Yeah.
26:27Well done, lovey.
26:29I've now just got to lift this bucket away.
26:30Yes, if you've got muscles for it.
26:32Thank you, Luce.
26:33See you later.
26:37I know these are all rubbish, but like...
26:41You're so evil.
26:42I'm calling the police.
26:44To come in here and sort out this madness.
26:47Yeah.
26:49Yeah, I think so.
26:50What's really lovely is that they're really well finished off.
26:53The base is a really nice thickness.
26:56And there's a real finesse to that.
26:58Yeah.
26:58Lovely finish to the wall.
27:00Really clean.
27:01Yeah.
27:01Thank you so much.
27:02Well done, darling.
27:08It's kind of if a jug was Richard.
27:10Yeah.
27:10It would be this.
27:11It would be.
27:11But that one's no good.
27:12Yeah, that's no good.
27:13No.
27:14I'd like a bit more height on...
27:16I think what's good is you've set the depth of the base perfectly.
27:18So you've managed to retain a lot of clay.
27:20Had you collared that in, that would have equated to more height.
27:23Yeah.
27:23We've got five there.
27:24Five?
27:25Yeah.
27:25Okay, that's good.
27:26Amazing.
27:27Well done.
27:32Hi, lovey.
27:32Hello.
27:33How did you find that?
27:34Do you know what?
27:35If I enjoyed it, I felt like I got the knack of it a little bit.
27:38But do you know what?
27:38They're a marked improvement on week one.
27:40There's some nice control.
27:42There's some real consistency with the rims.
27:44That one maybe.
27:46That was the first one.
27:47Yeah.
27:47But you know what?
27:48That's such an improvement.
27:49It's amazing.
27:50Oh, thank you.
27:50It really is incredible.
27:55Oh, hello.
27:57Hello.
27:57You look like a shopkeeper.
27:59Oh, stop it.
27:59Wow.
28:00They're just brilliant.
28:01There's a real sense of style to them.
28:03And a sense of order.
28:05The same height, same width, same wall thickness.
28:08I would go as far as to say that's one of the best second challenges we've ever had.
28:13Oh, thank you.
28:14Yeah.
28:14Really well done.
28:15Yeah.
28:16Well done, my lord.
28:19Potter of the week.
28:21Potter of the week.
28:21Potter of the year.
28:23The milk jugs will now be ranked from worst to first.
28:27In sixth place, Lucy.
28:30Well done, Lucy.
28:31That one's fairly decent.
28:34Fatia is fifth, Richard is fourth, and Denise is third.
28:39So, in second place...
28:43Paul.
28:44Well done, Paul.
28:46Absolutely brilliant.
28:47So, in first place, Leighton.
28:50Woo!
28:51Woo!
28:52Well done, lovey.
28:53They are truly amazing.
28:56There you go.
28:58We'll take it.
28:59The best acceptance speech we've ever had.
29:01Yeah.
29:02Thank you so much.
29:04Well done, everyone.
29:04Massive achievement, considering where I started.
29:07Well done, Paul.
29:08I was coming fifth and sixth.
29:09So, to come second, I was really pleased.
29:11Well done, sweetie.
29:12Thank you, guys.
29:14It's the first time I've won some at so...
29:15Woo!
29:16Woo!
29:17But then...
29:18Now, let me win that main challenge.
29:27It's Raku Day for our celebrity potter's animal sculptures.
29:31How are you feeling about this?
29:32I'm worried about it breaking, you know?
29:35And after a 24-hour bisque firing, Technician Princess is laying out their pieces ready for decoration.
29:41A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into that pigeon.
29:44So, if anything happens to it, I'll be really upset.
29:46I build things to last.
29:48I'm very confident that it's going to come out looking amazing.
29:52It better not break.
29:53The art parts are over now.
29:55Now it's just trying to paint it and make it look lively.
29:58Guys, I think I've only got one ear.
30:00It might be all right, but wait and see.
30:02Never get upset until you've definitely seen.
30:09Hello, potters.
30:11Sleeping underneath your hessian are your wonderful bisque-fired animals waiting for you to bring them to life via the
30:21art of decoration.
30:22But there are a few things to know.
30:24There are indeed.
30:26So, Raku decoration.
30:27Any areas left undecorated will turn black.
30:31So, really think about how you can use that effect to your advantage on your sculptures.
30:35You've got access to oxides and Raku crackle glazes.
30:39Both of which can give you spectacular and surprising results.
30:43So, be brave and use them to enhance all that surface texture you've created.
30:49Potters, you've got an hour and a half.
30:51What?
30:52Go!
30:55Oh, easy one piece!
30:57Yeah!
30:57Yes!
31:00It's so cute!
31:02I'm really happy.
31:03Not a single crack.
31:05Exciting!
31:06Nelson is looking great.
31:09No cracks.
31:10I'm happy.
31:11I think everything that I've put on is still on.
31:14So, it's nice to have a cat, isn't it?
31:16Look at that!
31:17On!
31:17Just as I told you, it would be absolutely intact.
31:22Really happy with it.
31:24Oh, I just broke mine.
31:26A one-legged koala.
31:28Bit disappointing, isn't that?
31:29Bad thing.
31:30But sometimes they do have legs missing, don't they, in the wild and stuff?
31:33Yeah, hopefully we'll find a top vet.
31:36Where's Michaela Strachan when you need her?
31:40To bring their animal sculptures to life...
31:42I'm going to give you the best glow up, you bit red.
31:45..the celebrity potters are working with underglazes.
31:48I think this purple will look really nice.
31:51I'm going grey and white.
31:53Who will buy these wonderful glazes?
31:58And for the first time, they're experimenting with oxides,
32:02known for creating beautiful, yet unpredictable colours.
32:06So, look, copper carbonate is red, green or metallic?
32:08Red slash green.
32:10Yeah.
32:10Just look how it comes out.
32:12Why is the black going to be green?
32:13The green's going to be black.
32:14It's like, help me out here.
32:18As well as adding realistic colours to their animals,
32:21the potters must also decide which parts of their sculptures
32:25to leave unglazed, allowing them to turn black in the raku process.
32:30I'm doing the black swan.
32:32I think I might leave these bits unglazed.
32:35Could be quite cool.
32:37You can't get the paint in the creases,
32:39so I'm happy for those to go black.
32:42I think I might leave the face to do its own thing.
32:44If I leave it all to turn black, I think it'll look boring.
32:47This cobalt oxide is going to go blue to black.
32:51So I'm hoping it'll be more black than blue.
32:53This is a risk.
32:55Halfway through, potters, you're halfway home.
32:59Patia, how are you getting on? You worried?
33:01Bro, of course I'm worried.
33:02I've got two pieces.
33:04You got this.
33:05I'm now adding my whites and my shading with my browns.
33:09I love this stage.
33:10This is the nice part, bringing the character through.
33:13I think the pink's going to sing on the matte black of the racket.
33:17Yeah, I hope so.
33:18And then I'm going to put some sort of flame effect or something red.
33:21From his burn.
33:23What colour is your dinosaur?
33:25Blue, purple and green.
33:26We're just presuming the green and brown, aren't we?
33:29But...
33:29No, true, yeah.
33:30I think it depends on the diet, doesn't it?
33:32What they're eating.
33:33What's yours been eating?
33:35E-numbers.
33:37I'm going to do one more full core of black on the top.
33:40And then I'm going to add some white embellishments.
33:44I've put two coats in places so it's not all the same colour.
33:48Just trying to figure out the box.
33:49Now it's broke his leg.
33:51There he is.
33:52My mum and dad's hands coming together to hold him.
33:56I love that.
33:56You know, my parents just loved each other so much.
33:59So I've added a little heart in the back.
34:02I'm mad for that.
34:03I love it.
34:04Yeah, I know.
34:05You can really tell.
34:07It's fabulous, Patty.
34:08It's fabulous.
34:08Thank you, my darling.
34:11With their underglazes and oxides applied...
34:14Time to glaze it up.
34:15The potters can now add transparent and white raku glazes...
34:19I'm just going to glaze everything.
34:21...which are designed to produce the distinctive raku crackle effect
34:25during the firing process.
34:27I'm going to put the glaze onto my feathers just to give it that crackly effect.
34:31With the crackle glaze, I have put on anything that's white, basically.
34:35So I've done a bit on the face and feet.
34:37So that should look quite good.
34:38While most of the potters are mid-glaze, Fatia is still adding colour to Nelson.
34:44I'm going to put this iridescent stuff on it now.
34:47Yeah, babe, so you're going to glaze it, remember?
34:49Yes.
34:50Everyone's panicking and they're making me panic.
34:53Everyone just needs to calm down.
34:54I had to paint two pieces.
34:56Five minutes, potters.
34:58If you are thinking of putting transparent glaze on a pigeon called Nelson...
35:03...I'd do it now.
35:05Don't start with me.
35:07You're going to end up doing too much to it.
35:09That's when it can go wrong.
35:11I've got some oxide, I'm going to put it on my beak.
35:15And I swear, darling, it better come out ready.
35:18Oops.
35:20Right, let me glaze these bits.
35:22I think that's how you do it.
35:24Oh, I missed a bit round the back.
35:26Ooh.
35:27I'm nearly done.
35:28It's always me.
35:30The time is up, potters!
35:33Perfect.
35:34So if you'd like to carry your animals down to the courtyard,
35:37we're going to fire them quickly.
35:40Woo!
35:40You know why?
35:41Because we don't muck about on this show.
35:44Come on, gorgeous kings and queens.
35:47Don't drop them.
35:51Oh, Lucy.
35:53You're so cute.
35:56It's raccoon time, potters.
35:58This is where the real fun begins.
36:01You guys will be responsible for putting your sculptures into the kiln,
36:04but also removing them from the kiln.
36:06What you're looking for is for the glazes on the surfaces of your sculptures
36:10to have melted to a glossy sheen, almost like runny honey.
36:14Now, your animal sculptures will go from the kiln into that reduction box,
36:18but obviously moving your sculptures with those tongs can be nerve-wracking.
36:23So try and stay calm, and I would suggest quickly but carefully.
36:27Well, that's quite easy for us to say, isn't it?
36:30So, first up we have Denise, Richard and Fatia.
36:34If you would like to don your safety gear.
36:38Who'd like an apron?
36:40The potters' animals now face one of the most unpredictable processes in ceramics.
36:46Can't beat a bit of fire.
36:48No.
36:48Under the watchful eye of Princess and Master Potter Kevin.
36:52Can I have a drum roll, please?
36:54The potters are responsible for carefully transferring their sculptures into the kiln.
37:00I've got her, I've got her.
37:01With only tongs between them and disaster.
37:05Go on, Denise.
37:06Tilly, be safe.
37:08I'll see you on the other side.
37:10Oh, my Lord.
37:11Well done, Richard.
37:12Woo!
37:15She's done well.
37:16Thank you so much.
37:17Oh, look at Nelson.
37:18Any words for him?
37:20In Arabic we say,
37:22That means see you later.
37:23Yeah.
37:24With the kiln lit, the temperature inside the chamber will rise to 1,000 degrees centigrade in a matter of
37:31minutes.
37:31Can I have a temper check, please?
37:34Denise, you're at 6.36.
37:36Richard, you're at 6.15.
37:39OK.
37:40Now the potters must hold their nerve and decide when to take their sculptures out of the intense heat.
37:47What are you thinking?
37:48I'm going to get to about 10.20, I think, and I'll have a look.
37:52Right.
37:53Too soon, and the glazes and oxides won't have time to work their magic.
37:58Got to wait till it looks like it's red hot and it's got honey on it.
38:02Too late, and they run the risk of cracks appearing.
38:05What I need to do is stay calm. If I panic, I'm likely to drop her.
38:10You'll stay calm.
38:12Guys, I'm ready.
38:14Attention yard. Denise Van Outen is ready.
38:17OK.
38:18Got this.
38:22Watch Matilda's ears, please.
38:24Watch her ears.
38:25Watch her ears.
38:27Wow.
38:28She's so hot.
38:29As their glowing hot animals are plunged into a reduction box...
38:33Get the sawdust on her now!
38:35Go, go, go, go!
38:37The alchemy of Raku can begin.
38:40Yay!
38:42They're like excited school children.
38:44Oh, yeah.
38:45I love it.
38:50Well done.
38:52Starving the box of oxygen creates a carbon-rich atmosphere that will turn any unglazed areas of the sculpture black.
38:59That's good.
39:00Keep going.
39:01Keep going.
39:01Keep going.
39:02And the sudden drop in temperature from kiln to box...
39:05Thank you, Lucy.
39:06Well done.
39:07...will rapidly cool the Raku glazes, helping to produce the all-important crackle effect.
39:14Cannot wait to see how he comes out. I cannot wait.
39:17With Denise, Fatia and Richard's animals safely through the process, it's time for Leighton, Paul and Lucy to get to
39:24grips with the tongs.
39:26Slowly.
39:28It's not on yet, Leighton.
39:33Nice.
39:34Safe and sound.
39:36See you later, little guy.
39:38Come on, Lucy.
39:40Ooh.
39:44Careful.
39:45He's solid as a ruck, that.
39:46Nice and delicate.
39:51It's glossy, it's honey.
39:53Yes, it's ready.
39:54Oh, look, she's beautiful.
40:00Will she get her head?
40:01I've got her head, I've got her head.
40:02She's covered.
40:03Has Mr Merson checked his?
40:05Oh, wow, look at that.
40:08Go on, Paul.
40:10My leg down.
40:10Wicked.
40:11Beautiful.
40:13The 18.
40:14Go on.
40:15Great job, boys.
40:17Right.
40:18OK, she's ready.
40:20Good luck, Lucy.
40:27Oh, look at the colours.
40:30Oh!
40:34It's OK.
40:35Just take the body.
40:36Put that in.
40:38OK, and then get the head.
40:41Gently.
40:46Well done.
40:47Nice.
40:48It's in there.
40:50Don't worry, it's going to be fine.
40:52I can't believe it.
40:54It's just down to the making, isn't it?
40:55The fact that it obviously wasn't well-joined,
40:58and she's just closed the tongs on,
41:00and that pressure has been enough
41:01to pop the head off the body.
41:03Yeah.
41:03Unfortunately.
41:04I think I'm a bit in shock, really.
41:06It just came off.
41:08Just really easily.
41:09It shows you do have to be careful
41:11when you're handling clay.
41:17Oh, wow, look at that.
41:19Oh.
41:20With the firing process over,
41:22the potters can finally see if they've achieved
41:25their desired decoration.
41:27This is so exciting.
41:29Look, I can see her little paws.
41:32There's red on the back of mine and blue.
41:35But is that what you wanted?
41:36No.
41:37Not at all.
41:39Yeah, it's come out really blue.
41:40The risk you take.
41:43Cheers, Rich.
41:45I'm pleased I've got it out.
41:47It's in one piece,
41:48but the leg that happened earlier.
41:52Oh, my God.
41:54We're done.
41:55Billy's looking fab.
41:57I'm feeling fab.
41:58I'm buzzing.
42:02That's it.
42:03Nice and slowly so you don't break the tail.
42:05That's it. You got it.
42:11That's OK.
42:12That's OK. Try to pick it up again.
42:13Go, go, go. You got it.
42:14You got it.
42:16Oh, God.
42:18Take your time.
42:19Nice and slow.
42:26Oh, God. I can't believe it.
42:28Honestly, we'll be able to stick it back.
42:29It's OK.
42:31Don't worry.
42:33Poor Lucy.
42:34She basically beheaded her dinosaur.
42:37I feel terrible for her.
42:39Because it's not nice, is it,
42:40when you've worked that hard
42:41and then something goes wrong.
42:42I'll be honest with you,
42:44it's not doing very well.
42:45It's not looking great.
42:47But all the bits are there.
42:48And you can glue pottery back together.
42:51It'll be absolutely fine.
42:59It's judgment day for the celebrity potter's raku-fired animal sculptures.
43:10Well, after all the fire and smoke in the yard, let's hope that the judging is a little less volatile.
43:18Mr. Leighton Williams, please bring your work up here to the judges.
43:21Woo!
43:32You know what, Leighton?
43:34It's wonderful.
43:36It's a lovely substantial build.
43:38It's all stayed together.
43:39And I love that you've done this little detail on the beak there.
43:43I think it's worked really, really well.
43:45Yeah.
43:45I mean, I feel like it is immediately recognizable and actually does show off some lovely raku effects.
43:51Because I was a bit concerned when you were painting the main body black that it wouldn't have any of
43:56that lovely luster.
43:57But actually, you've got that carbonization in the crackle, so it just catches the light in the most beautiful way.
44:03And enhances the surface texture.
44:05Yeah.
44:05Which is great.
44:06I mean, I almost would like a few more of the feathers that you've stuck on.
44:10I was scared that they would, like, get bun up in the raku.
44:13Completely.
44:13I just really like them.
44:14There's something lovely about the way they leave the surface.
44:17But, yeah, I think you've done so well.
44:19And, you know, you've got an air hole up the top here.
44:22You've got an air hole back here.
44:24You've really thought about how the whole thing is going to perform in the kiln.
44:28It's a really wonderful piece.
44:30Well played, sir.
44:31Thank you so much, guys.
44:32Welcome.
44:43It hasn't turned out exactly as I hoped.
44:46I was really pleased with the build and this was my favorite thing.
44:48I was really looking forward to having this, but now I don't really like it anymore.
44:54I think you're just being hard on yourself because it's got such charm and character.
44:58You know, Oscar is kind of mid-meow.
45:00You really get a sense of a cat.
45:02Yes.
45:02The ears are really, really well observed.
45:04I like the fact that you've layered them behind the fur of the face.
45:09I'm loving the little heart down here as well.
45:11I'm a little bit disappointed with the way the colors have come out.
45:14I was hoping it would be more black than blue.
45:15Is that the cobalt?
45:16Yeah.
45:17Yeah.
45:17I know what you mean about the blue.
45:19The blue's very electric, but, you know, you've never done Raku before.
45:23No, no, no, yeah.
45:23The fact the whole thing is in one piece is a marvel.
45:26Well done.
45:27Thank you, Rich.
45:28Thank you very much.
45:29Cheers, Al.
45:30Bye-bye, mate.
45:44Yeah.
45:45I mean, it's certainly a substantial lump of clay.
45:50Yeah.
45:50Has it come out as you'd hoped?
45:51No.
45:54It's gone through a lot.
45:55You had a few mishaps with it, didn't you?
45:57Yeah.
45:58The head came off.
45:59Yeah.
45:59And then you dropped it?
46:01Dropped it, yeah.
46:02So we've glued it back together so we can see it in one piece.
46:05I don't know how the head came off, but honestly, it just came off so quick.
46:09There's some lovely colors on it.
46:10I love the pink.
46:12I particularly like the eyes, and you've got a lovely bit of crackle with a bit of carbon going into
46:17the crackle just to accentuate that process.
46:19Mm-hmm.
46:20There are some lovely Raku effects on there.
46:22Yeah.
46:22I just question that sense of realism.
46:24I know we're talking about dinosaurs that are long since extinct.
46:27Because we've never seen them, have we?
46:29No.
46:31I've certainly never seen that dinosaur.
46:33Whether this would be an accurate reconstruction.
46:36Yeah, no, I understand.
46:37Did you enjoy doing it?
46:38Oh, I loved it every minute of it, yeah.
46:40Right.
46:40Well, look, well done, lovey.
46:42Yeah.
46:43Well done, Lucy.
46:52There's some nice, well-observed features about it.
46:55The pores work really, really well.
46:57And you've got some wonderful Raku effects there with the glaze.
47:00The ears are particularly good.
47:02There's some real life and energy in that.
47:04I'm just really, really glad that they haven't come off.
47:07And that's a testament to the way it was built.
47:09Yeah.
47:10To survive the whole Raku firing process is miraculous.
47:13I do wonder whether the clay has just sat down a little bit.
47:16Well, she does sit like that.
47:18Oh, she does?
47:18That's why I wanted to do it.
47:19Because she sits like, we always say, she's got a heavy bottom.
47:22Oh, OK.
47:22Yeah.
47:23I love the fact that you kind of see her in what you've made.
47:25That's really lovely.
47:26Are you proud of what you've done?
47:27I am, because my tilly's not going to be around forever,
47:30but I can keep this tilly forever.
47:32Oh.
47:33Brilliant.
47:34Well done, lovey.
47:34Really well done.
47:36Come on.
47:37Winkies!
47:38Woo!
47:50The first thing you notice is that it's a really substantial structure
47:54and there are no structural cracks at all.
47:57It's quite amazing.
47:58I know the foot came off, but it's all gone back nicely.
48:02You'd look at it and you would immediately recognise it as a koala.
48:05There's a sense of realism that you've managed to achieve.
48:07The ears are gorgeous.
48:09And that Raku glaze has worked really, really well on the ears, hasn't it?
48:12Yeah.
48:12You've filled the whole structure with texture.
48:15The mark making has really enhanced all of that colour application.
48:18Dark tones coming through some of the score lines.
48:21It's a really complex surface.
48:23It gives the appearance of fur.
48:25And Rich and I, we noticed that you are really consciously trying.
48:29Oh, yeah.
48:29You really are.
48:30And we can see that.
48:31Okay, thank you.
48:32And what do you think Sadie would think of it?
48:34Hopefully she'll like it, yeah.
48:35Brilliant.
48:36It's wicked.
48:36She's going to have something that her dad's made forever.
48:38It's a lovely, lovely thing.
48:40Yeah.
48:41Thanks, Paul.
48:42Well done, mate.
48:44Woo!
48:46Well done, Paul.
48:56His name's Nelson because my mum and dad would go on dates to Trafalgar Square and I did their two
49:03hands together holding the bird.
49:05Oh.
49:06They're lovely.
49:08Really, really good.
49:08They've got such a lovely kind of sense of perspective, the way they just wrap around the bowl.
49:13That is just a lovely object in its own right.
49:16Really, really wonderful.
49:17And you know what?
49:18When you pick this up, the first thing you notice is the weight.
49:22Yeah.
49:22It's really light.
49:23And that's down to your building skills and the fact that you've done the neck and the head as a
49:29kind of a lid to go on the top.
49:31It's just brilliant.
49:32It's a perfect example of a very, very simple form that's so expressive.
49:38What I love is the fact that you've retained the marks of the making as you've gone up, as you've
49:44pinched up.
49:44That feels like an integral part of the design. It feels like ruffled feathers.
49:49It's really, really beautiful.
49:51And yeah, the fact that you've got all of this copper and this oxide around here, it's a really lovely
49:55example of the raccoon process.
49:57You've woven it into something so beautifully simple in appearance, but so meaningful.
50:02It makes it all worth it hearing you say that. Thank you so much. Like, it means a lot.
50:07It's wonderful.
50:08You should be really proud of it. You really should.
50:11Well done. So good.
50:15I'm glad they liked it.
50:16Keith and Richard really acknowledged, like, my hard work, all the coiling. They just loved it.
50:22It would be lovely to have Potter of the Week, but honestly, I don't care. I'm just really happy that
50:28they loved it. I'm so happy.
50:30It's a shame it's just so blue. I'm quite disappointed with it.
50:34I'm happy to hand on my Potter of the Week to someone who deserves it.
50:40I feel proud. It might potentially be the best work that I've done since I've been here. My hopes are
50:45still up there for being Potter of the Week.
50:47I really hope that I've impressed the judges enough, but it could be tight.
50:58As the new girl, I have to say, I think this has been an exciting week. Raku has certainly put
51:03the cat amongst the pigeons.
51:05We had a pigeon, didn't we? Yes, and a cat.
51:08You know, this was a challenge of two halves. We had that sense of realism in the animal sculpture, but
51:13also the beautiful Raku effects.
51:15And we were looking for both of those things. We were.
51:17So what do you think? Where are we at with the leaderboard? Who are you thinking for the top at
51:22this point?
51:23Well, I mean, Leighton's. Yeah. There was a beautiful sense of realism, really lovely examples of the Raku firing effects.
51:30And he did so well in that second challenge, first place. Yeah.
51:34And then there was Fatia. Fatia's pigeon was just spot on. The simplicity of the form, just so accurately observed.
51:41And that wonderful plumage with all those Raku effects, it was wonderful.
51:46There was no denying what that bird was. No.
51:48Personally, I've got a soft spot for it.
51:51The whole idea was so well-conceived from the outset. Loved it.
51:55Such a beautiful story. And the simplicity in her approach to the making was just absolutely inspired.
52:01I think the only difficulty we have is that she came fifth in the second challenge.
52:06Oh, okay. So is her main make sufficiently better than the others?
52:11And I don't think we can discount Paul. Second in the second challenge, some really wonderful throwing.
52:16But also his koala was ambitious in scale, had some lovely surface texture.
52:21He really pushed himself. Yeah. And delivered on lots of counts this week.
52:25And, you know, that's really worth acknowledging.
52:31Oh, really?
52:33Big news. That was a walk, that wasn't it?
52:37A fiery week in the pottery. And we survived it.
52:41So, ladies and gentlemen, potters, our potter of the week is Mr. Leighton Williams.
52:51Oh, it is. Oh, thank you, guys. Thank you.
52:55So, potter of note is Mr. Paul Merson.
52:59Well done. I told you.
53:03Well done.
53:04And...
53:04And...
53:05Fatia.
53:07Yes.
53:07Oh!
53:08Well done, yes.
53:10You did deserve that.
53:12Yeah, well done.
53:14So, the leaderboard as it is now.
53:17Richard's got four.
53:19Leighton has three.
53:21Fatia, you have two points.
53:23Paul and Denise are on one.
53:26Lucy, all to play for, with nought.
53:29Well done, everyone.
53:30Well done.
53:33Well done.
53:34Thank you so much.
53:35Honestly, it's so amazing.
53:37Potter of the week.
53:39Potter of the week.
53:40I'm feeling the clay.
53:42To succeed in something that I was a novice at, like, a few weeks ago.
53:46What was it?
53:47I just fell on top of the world.
53:48Well done.
53:49Appreciate it.
53:49Absolutely fantastic.
53:51Leighton had a blinding week.
53:53The texture on that swan was fantastic.
53:56And then he was like a machine when it came to that second challenge.
53:59And now that puts him really close to the top of that leaderboard.
54:02As Leighton's swan takes its place in the throwdown gallery,
54:06he, along with the potters of note, can breathe a sigh of relief,
54:09having secured some all-important points ahead of the semi-final.
54:14Next week, we will be losing two potters.
54:17And, you know, this is where those points really start to count.
54:20Well done, lovey.
54:22To get Potter of note is insane.
54:24I do love my little pigeon, Nelson.
54:26He's come through for me.
54:28Well done, Paul.
54:29Yeah, fantastic.
54:30I've been really pleased this week.
54:32It's nice to get on the board.
54:34Game face.
54:35Come all the way here for nothing.
54:37Me and Paul are now, like, head-to-head.
54:39Who knows what's going to happen next?
54:41Lucy could still win.
54:43Lucy could just win next week, then come into the final.
54:46Well done.
54:47And that would have been prize enough for me.
54:49I'm now the only person with no points, but there's still time.
54:54I just need to not drop anything now.
54:56I think that's the main thing.
54:59Next time, it's the semi-final.
55:02Let's get ready to rumble.
55:04The celebrity potters hand-billed garden gnomes.
55:08Where?
55:09It's an old Gallagher, is it?
55:10And try to pull off...
55:12My mum's going to be fuming or she sees this.
55:14...a tricky second challenge.
55:16I'm just making content for only fans.
55:18Whose pint-sized pottery will impress...
55:20Woo!
55:21And whose dreams of a place in the final...
55:25...will turn into a nightmare.
55:27These are...
55:27Oh, my gosh.
55:29You can't creep up on me like that.
55:31I'm so sorry.
55:34Did you miss that?
55:49Thank you so much.
56:01If the