Ann Rowley won the first season of 'The Great British Sewing Bee'.
Rowley became the inaugural champion of the BBC Two sewing competition in 2013. The programme brought the structure of 'The Great British Bake Off' into garment making: contestants completed themed sewing challenges, produced made-to-measure garments and faced judging on technique, fit and design.
The first series was hosted by Claudia Winkleman and judged by May Martin and Patrick Grant. Contestants were home sewers rather than professional fashion designers, which helped distinguish the programme from competitions such as 'Project Runway'. Each episode combined a timed technical challenge with a larger creative task, and one contestant was generally eliminated until the final.
The title is sometimes confused with later winners because the series has featured many memorable contestants and judges. Ann Rowley’s victory belongs specifically to the inaugural UK series. The programme later moved from BBC Two to BBC One, and its format inspired versions and related sewing competitions in other countries.