Great Pottery Throwdown final sees booking boom for Kettering studio owner

With the grand final of Channel 4 TVs Great Pottery Throwdown set to reveal its winner this weekend, a Kettering potter has seen interest in all things clay soaring.

Louise Crookenden Johnson has seen a big rise in demand for beginners wanting to throw a pot on her potters’ wheel in her Kettering studio.

Hundreds of Throwdown fans have been buying experience vouchers or booked in small groups to have a go at making a mug or bowl they can use.

Louise said: “I recently taught a gentleman who was 93 years of age, he’d had ‘throwing on the potters wheel’ on his bucket list. It was so exciting to be able to help to tick it off.”

In 2023, Louise led a project as a fundraiser for Cransley Hospice creating a ‘flock’ of ceramic birds that were displayed at Chester House Estate.

She thinks that since the Covid pandemic ‘experience’ presents have increased in popularity.

Louise said: “People tell me that following Covid, they are looking for better ways to spend their time, and, of course, they enjoy seeing the characters of the judges and contestants in the popular telly series – everyone loves it when Keith Brymer Jones bursts into tears at someone’s amazing pottery creation.”

The grand finale will see the remaining three contestants – Dan, Dave and Donna – whittled down from the original dozen.

Louise added: “Out of the three potters left in the final, I think it’s pretty obvious that Donna will win. She has a strong decorating style which has helped her win ‘potter of the week’, four times so far.

“However, throwing on the potters wheel is not her strongest skill – but we will see on Sunday evening.”

The finale will play out on Sunday, seeing Dan, Dave and Donna battle it out for the season seven crown.

You can watch the Great Pottery Throw Down grand final on Sunday, March 10, at 7.45pm on Channel 4.

For more information on Pottery experiences for novices in Louise‘s Kettering workshop, check out her website, www.louisecrookenden-johnson.uk/workshop