How to watch The Great British Sewing Bee season 12 online for FREE – stream cosy competition from anywhere

Premiere: Tuesday, July 14 at 8pm BST

FREE stream: BBC iPlayer (UK)

Use NordVPN to watch iPlayer from abroad

I’ve got a textile! Feeling lost over Love Island and fed up with football? Sewing Bee could be just the ticket, as 12 super seamsters gather in the hope to be crowned Britain's best sewer. Read on, as we explain how to watch The Great British Sewing Bee season 12 online from anywhere.

The biggest change this year is a new face at the helm in the form of actor and comedian Sophie Willan, who takes over from Sara Pascoe full time after making her debut in the most recent Christmas special. The ever reliable Patrick Grant and Esme Young return to judge every stitch and seam.

As ever, the contestants are a diverse bunch, with everyone from CFOs to Primary teachers, sopranos to engineers and care farm directors to chartered actuaries. Throughout the season, they’ll be tasked with the Pattern Challenge, in which they must follow a pattern as closely as possible, the Transformation Challenge, which sees the sewers reinvent existing garments and the Made-to-Measure Challenge, that gives the sewers freedom to create their own showstoppers.

The spiritual sister to The Great British Bake Off, Sewing Bee is a cosy treat, with moments that’ll leave you in stitches, and points so tense you could hear a pin drop. Read on and find out how to watch The Great British Sewing Bee season 12 online and from anywhere.

Can I watch The Great British Sewing Bee for free?

Viewers in the UK can stream all seasons and specials of The Great British Sewing Bee, including the upcoming season 12, for FREE on BBC iPlayer.

Not at home? Use a VPN to access you usual streaming services from abroad and watch the show for free.

How to watch The Great British Sewing Bee S12 from abroad

For those away from home looking to watch The Great British Sewing Bee, you’ll be unable to watch the show as normal if you're outside the UK due to regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream geo-blocked services online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. Our favorite is NordVPN – it's one of the best VPNs on the market.

Use a VPN to watch The Great British Sewing Bee from anywhere:

How to watch The Great British Sewing Bee S12 online in the UK

How to watch The Great British Sewing Bee S12 online in the US

In the US, The Great British Sewing Bee streams for free on its dedicated Roku Channel, though there's now news on when season 12 might arrive.

Brit in the US? Anyone from the UK who wants to watch their usual free streaming service from abroad can do so by using a VPN, as seen below.

How to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad - YouTube

Watch On

Can I watch The Great British Sewing Bee S12 online in Canada?

Canadians have been stitched up, with no streaming home for The Great British Sewing Bee in Canada.

UK viewer in Canada? Use a VPN to gain access to all the content you'd normally stream at home.

How to watch The Great British Sewing Bee S12 online in Australia

The Great British Sewing Bee streams on Binge in Australia, although we're still awaiting a release date for season 12.

Traveling from the UK to Oz? Try using a VPN as per our guide above.

What you need to know about The Great British Sewing Bee S12

When is The Great British Sewing Bee S12 release date?

Season 12 of The Great British Sewing Bee will premiere on Tuesday, July 14 in the UK. US and Australia release dates are TBC.

The Great British Sewing Bee S12 contestants

Adele, 36, Primary school teacher, West Yorkshire

Angie, 63, Retired, Warwickshire

Anna, 27, Barista & waitress, North Yorkshire

Beth, 24, Engineering Ph.D. student, Oxfordshire

Dawn, 64, Chief Financial Officer, London

Emma, 45, Classical soprano, Midlothian

Heather, 28, Project manager, West Midlands

Lewis, 29, Primary school teacher, East Sussex

Minnie, 30, Full-time mum, Bedfordshire

Rebecca, 27, Chartered actuary, London

Sam, 31, Heating engineer, West Yorkshire

Tim, 60, Care farm director, Suffolk

Who is the new presenter of The Great British Sewing Bee?

Actor and comedian Sophie Willan follows the likes of Claudia Winkleman, Joe Lycett, Sara Pascoe and Kiell Smith-Bynoe as the new host of Sewing Bee.

On her appointment, Cal Turner, Commissioning Editor, said: "We are delighted to welcome Sophie Willan to The Great British Sewing Bee. With her boundless enthusiasm and energy, Sophie will bring her own unique spark to the sewing room alongside Patrick and Esme."

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Tom is a freelance writer, predominantly focusing on film and TV. A graduate of Film Studies at University of South Wales, if he's not diving in to the Collector's Edition Blu Ray of an obscure 80s horror, you'll find him getting lost with his dog or mucking about in the water with his board.