Sewing Bee fans freaked out by contestant's unusual sidekick

The Great British Sewing Bee 2024 is here, and a contestant already had people talking after bringing a rather usual companion to keep him company in the sewing room.

Neil was among this year's group of sewers. He's a woodwork teacher from Leicester who leads a murder-themed bike tour and learned to sew when he couldn't find clothing to fit his 6ft 4 build. Oh, and he has a ventriloquist doll called Terry, who ended up being the star of the show.

Terry joined Neil in the first episode, with the doll clearly making an impact on viewers at home, with some saying that he "belonged in a horror movie". Admittedly, he was a little scary looking, and you might see dolls like Terry appearing in our collection of the best horror movies on Netflix, if that takes your fancy!

Even the Sewing Bee's official Twitter account had commented on Neil's unusual choice of companion, sharing a GIF of Terry looming in the background while sewers got to work, writing "And the prize for most haunted GIF goes to..."

While Terry probably didn't mean to creep out viewers at home, that was the general consensus as fans flocked to Twitter to talk about the 10th anniversary of the Sewing Bee, and of course, Terry himself who had inadvertently stolen the limelight and had people everywhere weighing in on the unexpected guest.

Despite viewers not being too keen on Terry, they were sad when Neil was actually the first person to be eliminated from the competition. It's always a tough decision and some fans thought that there should be no eliminations in the first week.

One noted that "I don't think anyone should go in the first week. They’ve not really had a chance to show what they can do."

Another agreed, adding: "Aww. I always think it’s a shame someone has to go on the first week. Well done Neil. Sorry to see you go."

Neil was thankful for his time on the beloved BBC series, where he admitted he never thought he'd get the opportunity "in a million years". The other contestants will be moving into the second week, which is Sports Week where there'll be three challenges inspired by the world of sport.

The Great British Sewing Bee 2024 continues on Tuesday, May 28. Episodes are also available on iPlayer.