The Great British Sewing Bee host Kiell Smith-Bynoe has revealed that he spoke to his former Ghosts co-star Ben Willbond about taking the presenting gig.
The 35-year-old star, who played Mike in the BBC sitcom, was asked to host last year's Christmas special and is now fronting the current series, stepping in for comedian Sara Pascoe while she's on maternity leave.
Kiell reveals to What to Watch that the positive reaction of Ben Willbond, who played The Captain in Ghosts, helped him decide he should accept the offer of taking his first TV series presenting job.
"I was with Ben Willbond when I was asked about it and he said, 'Oh fantastic!' It was good to see that reaction first-hand and think, 'Maybe I should say, Yes, to this unexpected offer"'.
Talking further about hosting the series, Kiell, who took part in a 2021 celebrity edition of Sewing Bee, says he has no idea why the makers asked him.
"I had no idea! Patrick [Grant] sent me a message, saying, ‘Please do the Sewing Bee job,’ but I thought it was one he’d tried to send two years ago about the Christmas special. Then my agent called, saying they’d like me to host the main gig and I was like, 'What? ME!"'.
He adds: "It's very new to me and very different from what I’ve done before or was planning next. I’d never said, 'Next up, I'll try to present'".
Kiell admits being stunned at how much emotion there is in Sewing Bee. "I was surprised at how often tears happen. But anyone who watches the show knows how invested the sewers are — how they're doing it for many reasons, such as in memory of someone — so it's bound to be emotional. Also, they become like a little family, so it’s really hard when people leave."
Although Ghosts has now sadly ended, Kiell still sees his former co-stars. Indeed, Kiell is currently appearing alongside Martha Howe-Douglas [Lady Button] in a play called "The Government Inspector" at London's Marylebone Theatre, which runs until 15 June.
The Great British Sewing Bee continues on BBC One on Tuesdays [see our TV Guide for full listings].
