Cliff Notes – Tom Daley: ‘Some people might be ready to hate my Channel 4 knitting show’
- Tom Daley aims to promote knitting through his new Channel 4 series, Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter, which features ten contestants competing for the title.
- Despite excitement for the show, Daley acknowledges criticism from the knitting community, who may feel protective of their craft and have high expectations.
- The series focuses on celebrating diverse knitting styles and aims to make the craft more accessible, with Daley expressing hopes for its growth similar to The Great British Bake Off.
Tom Daley: ‘Some people might be ready to hate my Channel 4 knitting show’
‘My goal is to get as many eyeballs as possible on the world of knitting,’ Tom Daley told Metro (Picture: Channel 4/Jamie Simpson)
The autumn evenings are getting cosier, with snuggling on the sofa with a hot drink and a blanket becoming a near-daily occurrence (at least, in my house it is).
Fancy a heartwarming new TV show to complete that wholesome image?
Tonight, Tom Daley is launching a brand new Channel 4 series called Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter to – you guessed it – crown the best knitter from a group of 10 talented individuals.
If you enjoy competitions that are as nail-biting as they are soul-stirring, akin to The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee, then you’ve come to the right place, as Metro discovered when we watched the first episode and spoke to Tom about hosting the programme.
While the Celebrity Traitors star is, of course, famous for his professional diving career, during which he won five Olympic medals, including one gold, his passion for knitting is also widely known, as he was spotted knitting in the stands during the competitions at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
His passion for his hobby has since turned into his brand Made With Love by Tom Daley, which boasts over a million followers on Instagram and sells products including Merino wool, garment patterns and clothing.
Meet the stars of Game of Wool – (from back left), Holger, Dipti, Simon, Ailsa, Isac and Gordon, (from left front row) Lydia, Meadow, Stephanie and Tracy (Picture: Channel 4/James Simpson)
The competition is judged by knitting experts Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell (Picture: Channel 4/James Simpson)
‘I never could have imagined that it would have turned into something like this, and I feel very fortunate and lucky to have had this,’ Tom told Metro, as we discussed how his interest in knitting has led to him being the presenter on Game of Wool.
‘Doing a show like this is something that celebrates so many other knitters, so many other designers, so many other people also have a real passion for the craft. That’s something that I’m excited for people to see.’
While there is a lot of excitement for the series, there has also been criticism before its release from members of the knitting community online who feel very protective of their craft, something that the 31-year-old acknowledged.
‘I think people will have a certain expectation of the show. Some people definitely might be ready to hate it because they want knitting to be protected, or have a certain idea of knitting,’ he explained.
The competition can get intense… with a cup of tea on the side while the knitters sit on the sofa for hours on end (Picture: Channel 4/Jamie Simpson)
There are two challenges per episode – a solo challenge, and a team challenge, where they have to work in groups (Picture: Channel 4/James Simpson)
‘But I think this show is about celebrating all kinds of knitters and celebrating all kinds of styles. Some people like knitting with certain materials. Some like knitting with others, and you really learn about all of that throughout the show.’
Tom also emphasised that his role on Game of Wool is solely about being a host ‘who happens to knit’, so ‘there isn’t anything about me knitting in the show at all’.
Will you be tuning in to watch Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter?
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‘It just made sense for this show for me to try and host it, because I know a bit more about knitting. I really hope people enjoy it and have as much fun with it as I did when I was actually making it,’ he stated.
As we pointed out, there are plenty of shows on TV where the hosts have nothing to do with what the programme is about, and yet they’re still rightfully celebrated for being good at their jobs. So why should it be an issue that Tom is hosting a competition centred on something that he’s knowledgeable about?
‘My goal in this is always about trying to get as many eyeballs as possible on the world of knitting and crochet to hopefully try and aid all of these other independent designers and everyone trying to show off their designs and their creations,’ he replied.
Tom is on hand to give emotional support to the contestants when the tasks become stressful (Picture: Channel 4/James Simpson)
Right from the get-go, Game of Wool will bring the waterworks, as these knitters are so genuine and care so much about their creations. Not to mention, they’re all so supportive of one another, despite them competing each week for the top prize.
Tom is joined on the programme by judges Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell, both of whom have masses of experience after decades in the woollen world.
The presenter shared: ‘There were so many times when it gets incredibly emotional, between the “Di cry”, which it ended up being named, when Di sees something that she really thinks is beautiful, she gets quite emotional.
‘Even just down to the stress of it all, not finishing, making mistakes, thinking that you’re behind and you’re not gonna be able to do it. I think it got stressful at times in there. They care so much, and when somebody cares so much about something, if things start to fall apart a little, they start to have those little cracks.’
While he wasn’t competing himself, he understood the ‘heartbreak’ of when a knit goes wrong, which is why he felt the dynamic that he had with the knitters ‘was really, really special’.
The Olympic diver compared judges Di and Sheila to Ant and Dec (Picture: Channel 4/James Simpson)
For judges Di and Sheila, this is their first foray into the world of television, with Tom even having to explain to them who Ant and Dec are when he outlined why Di should always be on the left, and Sheila should be on the right, if they’re referred to jointly as ‘Di and Sheila’.
Looking ahead to the future of Game of Wool, Tom admitted that as an athlete, ‘you always aim for the stars and you might reach the moon’ – so he would love the show to become as big as others like Bake Off and Sewing Bee.
‘For me, it’s been such a huge passion of mine to try and get as many eyeballs as possible on the world of knitting and crochet. I’d love to be able to take it into even making it a school project, and get more kids involved in knitting in schools and being able to try and make it as accessible as possible,’ he stated.
Our knitting needles are crossed!
Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter begins tonight at 8pm on Channel 4.
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