A chartered structural engineer who “dabbles” in ceramics is competing to be named champion in the sixth series of Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down.
Jon Roynon, 46, from Corsham, is one of 12 impassioned home potters taking part in series six of the hit TV programme, which kicked off on Sunday (January 8).
The show follows the potters as they strive to create their most intricate and imaginative work during a series of different challenges and compete to be crowned the UK’s best pottery star.
Mr Roynon said: “I suspect my work colleagues are going to be very surprised to see me on the show, many are probably not even aware that I do pottery!
“Walking into set was like walking into the TV, very familiar but very weird. I was excited initially but then as soon as the first challenge started the pressure really built and I didn’t stop shaking for most of the make! The set felt so small compared to how it comes across on TV.”
Mr Roynon is a technical director for Buro Happold structural engineers in Bath and lives in Corsham with his wife Kathryn and their two boys, Benjamin and William.
He started his pottery journey at The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham in 2016 with a series of classes with ceramicist Sarah Purvey.
“I only started pottery five years ago in my early to mid-40s and had initially been interested in 3D printing techniques in clay,” he said.
“At my wife’s suggestion I did a few weeks of evening classes to “get to know the material” but enjoyed that so much I gave up on the 3D printing idea and stuck to hands-on!”
The Great Pottery Throw Down airs weekly on Sunday evenings at 7.45pm on Channel 4, or online via All 4. It is being hosted by Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney.
Juidging the creations are ceramic experts Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller, plus a variety of well-known faces and experts from the world of pottery.
Commenting on the new series, Mr Roynon said: “I got pretty messy in the first episode with so much throwing to be done in the main make and the second challenge.
“I felt pretty stressed through all of the make and decoration stages and was shaking a lot of the time (which didn’t help with the brush strokes).
“It wasn’t so much the cameras as the pressure of needing to produce a lot of pieces under a tight time pressure with little room for the make three bin two I tended to have to do at home!
“It has been really hard to keep the secret of being on the show, I work in a big company and speak to lots of people both inside and outside the business every day.
"Having to build up to taking time off to be on the show (how ever long that might be) and to hand over projects to other people without saying why has been a challenge.
“Our small series six pottery family have been great at keeping in touch with the latest gossip, news, latest makes etc and helping each other out with challenges etc.
“All of the potters have got on really well from the start both on and off set supporting each other and sharing our knowledge.
“I have only really ever been a solo potter and knew no one (other than my sister) with whom to share ideas and discussion so meeting the other 11 potters has given me a great group of fellow pottery enthusiasts to talk with."
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