Aldringham, near Leiston, social worker Hayley Rowlands set to appear on The Great Pottery Throw Down

Appearing on a hit Channel 4 TV show has been a dream come true for a Suffolk social worker.

Hayley Rowlands, 55, of Aldringham cum Thorpe, near Leiston, will compete in the eighth season of The Great Pottery Throw Down.

Born and raised on a farm in Dorset, Hayley has been a social worker for 30 years and began pottery as a way of relaxing outside of her day job.

Her other hobbies include being outside with nature, bird watching, sea swimming and attending book clubs.

The mum-of-two said: “It has been such a journey. I’m such a fan of the show and it’s been wonderful to spend time with such a truly awesome group of potters.

“It still feels like a dream. It may now sink in as I watch myself on the show.”

Hayley said she took inspiration from nature with her pottery as her husband, Adam, works in conservation.

Having taken up the hobby properly in 1996, she even built her own log cabin during lockdown, where she creates new pieces and teaches others.

Hayley described herself as a mix of nervous and excited when she first walked onto set.

Regarding her time on set, she said: “It looked like I expected but maybe even a bit more awe-inspiring.

“I adore my fellow potters and had such a laugh with them. I was made to feel very special by them and loved spending time in their company.

“Each and every one of them made me smile, they are such a fantastic bunch who have all stepped outside their comfort zones – not one of them is arrogant.

“They are all fabulous and we are all so different but every one of them has a big heart and we all supported each other. We are all keeping in touch – our new clay family.”

The Great Pottery Throw Down is filmed a Gladstone Pottery Museum, in Stoke-on-Trent, which Hayley said was steeped in history.

Hayley said she liked using a variety of techniques in her pottery, particularly creating pieces that are asymmetrical, and also enjoyed decorating her pieces ‘wildly’.

As for her favourite piece, she said she designed a hand-built dog for her cousin’s 60th birthday and was most proud of her garden sculptures, which include an ammonite sphere.

Her goal during her time on the show was to ‘impress herself’ and feel proud of her work, she said, while also ensuring she stayed in the competition.

She described the show’s host Siobhán McSweeney as ‘such a funny person’.

The Great Pottery Throw Down sees potters take part in two challenges which are rated by judges.

Season eight is set to air on January 5 and run through until March 9.

It will see Hayley compete with 12 others in a bid to be crowned champion at the end of the series.

Henry Moore, of Bury St Edmunds, took part in the series in 2021.

In 2023, he launched a new venture selling gamers high-quality and personalised gear that was difficult to get anywhere else.

Ryan Barrett, of Ipswich, was the winner of the 2017 series.

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