Tom Daley’s ‘vicious’ knitting gameshow is being compared to cage-fighting-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Tom Daley is reportedly the face of a new ‘ferocious’ knitting show (Picture: Channel 4)

Tom Daley’s new Channel 4 knitting gameshow is reportedly being positioned as the anti–Great British Bake Off.

Titled The Game of Wool, in an apparent reference to the barbaric and bloodthirsty Game of Thrones, the programme will be a ‘ferocious’ contest not unlike cage-fighting.

And in a nod to the ultimate show of backstabbing and deception, The Traitors, the eight-part series will be filmed in the picturesque countryside of rural Scotland.

In Game of Wool, 10 ambitious creatives will take on a series of complex challenges to win a money-can’t-buy prize and be the UK’s first TV knitting champion. Tom, 30, will reportedly present the series.

Teasing what to expect, a source told The Sun: ‘Staging such a ferocious-sounding contest for what seems like a genteel pastime may sound wild, but the world of elite knitting can be as competitive as cage fighting.

‘Channel 4 realises that there is an irony to it all, particularly as the show’s title seems to reference the backstabbing fantasy thriller Game of Thrones.

The Channel 4 shows hints it could be as intense as Game of Thrones (Picture: Hbo/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

Like The Traitors, Game of Wool is being filmed in the Scottish countryside (Picture: BBC)

‘But giving it such a grand staging — and lining up a big name like Tom — is also a reflection of how much producers respect the craft and how seriously they take it.’

On the Channel 4 website, a synopsis for Game of Wool reads: ‘Each week, the competitors must create a whole host of unique makes and larger than life sculptural pieces – all made from wool.

‘These include clothing, jewellery, home accessories, furniture, sculptures and they may even try their hands at “yarn bombing”.

‘But the knitters should be truly stitching themselves, as they’ll be under the watchful eye of two established and respected creatives from the world of wool – Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell.

Tom really can’t put his knitting needles down (Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

‘Known for their work knitting for fashion juggernauts such as Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Nike, Di and Sheila will be sure to put the knitters through their paces. Di will be judging their creative approaches, whilst Sheila will be inspecting their technique. 

‘But our formidable pair of experts won’t be alone, each week they’ll be joined by a celebrity guest judge who’ll help them decide who goes through and who’ll be “cast off” home.’

Tom’s love of knitting has been well-documented – and was even seen with his yarn and needles taking a prime poolside spot for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In 2022, the diver released knitting and crochet pattern book Made with Love, featuring 30 projects from ‘gifts to chic homeware, cosy accessories and stylish wardrobe essentials’.

He took up the hobby in 2020 during the Covid pandemic (Picture: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

He took up the craft during the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020 and has been an avid fan ever since.

Tom previously said: ‘It has been a way to get creative during lockdowns, something to take my mind off my competitors when I’m diving, and a form of mindfulness in my down time.

‘At the Olympics, you’re in a bubble where you’re only focusing on the competition. So, I had no idea that people back home and around the world were talking about the hobby that I’d been doing for ages.’

Metro has contacted Tom’s rep for comment.

The Game of Wool is coming to Channel 4.

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