BBC The Great British Sewing Bee stars 'so surprised' over unexpected double exit

The Great British Sewing Bee contestants were left stunned as an unexpected pair faced elimination from the competition.

The BBC's cherished reality contest returned to screens on Tuesday (July 22) evening with Sara Pascoe once again taking the helm as presenter.

During the second week, amateur stitchers pulled out all the stops with a series of tasks, hoping to wow judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young with their creations.

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Initially, the sewers tackled a technical Pattern Challenge, crafting a seven-panel cap. In the Transformation Challenge, they breathed fresh life into discarded cycling kit, transforming it into chic new pieces, reports Wales Online.

Finally, for the Made to Measure round, the sewers designed an athleisure ensemble – something functional for the gym yet trendy enough for a café.

The stakes were particularly high during both challenges, as two participants would be departing the programme after the judges opted against eliminating anyone the previous week due to Glendora being compelled to withdraw from the challenge owing to illness.

Despite giving their utmost throughout the challenge, Saffie and Peter found themselves heading home.

Breaking the news, Sara began by declaring: "Now for the difficult bit. You're all so talented, this was a really difficult decision but the two sewers leaving us this week are Saffie and Peter."

The announcement clearly caught everyone off guard as they turned towards the duo and gasped, with one participant audibly remarking: "I'm so surprised". Peter, 45, confessed to the camera: "I kind of half expected to hear my name called. They were totally justified in what they said and I've learnt from them."

The senior pre-construction manager added: "This is a big learning experience for me." Meanwhile, a tearful Saffie admitted: "I kind of had a feeling I was going to go because I just hadn't kept most of the challenges within time."

Justifying their decision, Esme stated: "Peter, he was reflecting who he was, but it wasn't well sewn."

Patrick chimed in: "Saffie, I'm disappointed because I would really like to see more from Saffie but her execution let her down."

Meanwhile, Orla emerged as the top sewer after impressing the judges in both challenges. Speaking to the camera, an astonished Orla revealed: "I truly didn't expect to win it for sports, so I'm really happy. I mean, I couldn't have asked for anything better, really."

Patrick added: "Orla was a very deserving winner of Garment of the Week, she absolutely nailed that athleisure brief."

The Great British Sewing Bee airs on Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC One.