The Great British Sewing Bee will see a major shake-up as Sara Pascoe leaves the show after welcoming her second child.
The comedian, 42, has hosted the BBC show’s past two series since 2021.
On Wednesday, it was announced via the show’s official Twitter page that Sara would not appear in the next series and the Christmas special after giving birth.
Actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe, who recently appeared as a celebrity guest on the show, will take over as director, the show confirmed.
Announcing the news on Twitter alongside a photo of the host and his fellow judges, Patrick Grant and Esme Young, the official Sewing Bee account wrote: ‘We are bursting at the seams that Kiell Smith-Bynoe has stepped in to make this to host. Christmas special and series 10 of the year.
Shake-up: The Great British Sewing Bee has announced a major hosting shake-up
Happy news! Presenter Sara Pascoe has left the show after welcoming her second child
“(Sending lots of love to Sara and her new baby!)”
Sara has been presenting the show since 2021. It was previously fronted by comedian Joe Lycett and Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman.
Ghosts actor Kiell, 34, has appeared in Stath Lets Flats, Man Like Mobeen and Enterprice – and is also in Taskmaster, The Weakest Link and Richard Osman’s House Of Games.
And fans were clearly delighted with the arrangement, with one saying on Twitter: “This is going to be magical,” while another added: “Excellent news!”
A third said: ‘Amazing! I love Sara, but Keill will be a brilliant replacement.’
Sara announced earlier this year that she was pregnant after experiencing fertility problems while trying to conceive.
The TV presenter revealed that she was pregnant again with her husband Steen Raskopoulos earlier this year in May.
Congratulations! The account’s tweet read: ‘Sending lots of love to Sara and her new baby!’, while confirming that Kiell Smith-Bynoe would be stepping in to host the Christmas special
New face: Ghosts actor Kiell, 34, has appeared in Stath Lets Flats, Man Like Mobeen and Enterprice
Baby joy! Sara Pascoe, 42, has become a mother for the second time, it was announced on the BBC show’s official Twitter page
She revealed the happy news on Instagram, sharing a photo showing off her growing baby bump in a rainbow-colored knit dress.
Her husband Steen stood beaming next to her as he held a beer next to her stomach.
In her post, Sara wrote: ‘Here we go again. Food for two and drinks for no one.”
The couple are already parents to a son, whom she welcomed in February 2020 to IVF.
Sara looked overjoyed in her post as she flashed a dazzling smile while taking a bathroom selfie on her phone.
And a host of the Out Of Her Mind star’s showbiz friends were quick to share their joy and elation over her baby news.
Duncan James wrote: ‘Awww huge congratulations to you both xixixi.’
Ellie Jane Taylor wrote: ‘Ah, congratulations Dolly!! (And what a great dress!!).”
While Harry Style’s sister Gemma simply said: ‘Yay!’
Delighted: A host of the Out Of Her Mind star’s showbiz friends were quick to share their joy and elation over her baby news
Sweet: The couple are already parents to a son, whom they welcomed via IVF in February 2020
In April, Sara opened up about her fertility issues affecting her stand-up comedy and her fear of turning down work after her baby was born.
Before she gave birth, she had trouble conceiving and focused much of her comedy on infertility.
After having her baby, she changed her material to reflect being a mother, admitting that she was “complex.”
Speaking with the Radio times, Sara explained, “As humans, we are all inconsistent. Something may be true at one point in your life or career, but not later.
‘When I did Out of Her Mind (the BBC2 sitcom in 2020), I was at a stage in my life where I realized I was infertile and I really drew on that in the show.
‘A year later I had a child (via IVF). People who felt closely connected to my story said: ‘Who are you?’ And it was like, ‘Sorry, people are very complex!’
‘When I was infertile I was very defensive and now I’m a mother and I make mother jokes. I’m an oversharer – I feel comfortable with it, and also with the discussion that follows.’
Impact: Last month, Sara opened up about her fertility issues affecting her stand-up comedy and her fear of turning down work after her baby was born
‘Tough’: Sara described how not getting pregnant had a negative impact on her, made worse by the ease with which other couples around her became pregnant.
She also talked about her concerns about her work and feeling like she had to continue working very soon after giving birth to ensure she didn’t miss out on future opportunities.
Sara said: ‘The advantage of having some money in the bank is that you don’t have to get a job to pay next month’s rent. But the fear is: if I don’t say yes to a job now, what if they don’t ask me again?
‘I did QI when the baby was five weeks old. My agent had said, ‘Don’t you want a little more time? Because you’re swollen, angry and leaky.’ I was afraid that if I missed it, they wouldn’t ask me again next year.’
