Talented Preston potter Christine Cherry wins place in finals of The Great Pottery Throwdown

It was Bathroom Week on the popular Channel 4 series last night and the show's four semi-finalists produced a range of eye-catching designs. Christine, a 57 year old youth worker from Penwortham, created a lobster shaped urinal which impressed judges, despite problems with some of the lobster's legs dropping off during the first firing.

Writing on Facebook in advance of last night's episode Christine said: "When I started on my Pottery journey a few years ago, watching and loving that very first episode of season one of GPTD, did I ever think that I'd be here, in season five, designing and making a urinal? ...err...no! It was hard work, but boy was it was fun!"

For the story of Christine Cherry's pottery journey see here. Commenting that it was "the biggest make I've ever made" she wrote: "Thank goodness the damage was only cosmetic and my urinal was fully functioning."

Her success followed the previous episode when judges embraced her after she presented a work which drew on her own her experience of surviving breast cancer. Competitors were asked to create an abstract work of art based on themselves and Christine's sculpture moved both her and other people to tears.

The mother of two had breast cancer in her thirties and decided to create a sculpture with a hole in the chest. She shared her emotions about the unusual sculpture writing: "When I first received the information that we were to make a self sculpture I though 'oh no!' But then realised that, if I was brave enough, I could confront what cancer had done, and I felt that it was the right time to do it. My sister said, 'Are you ready to show everyone this?' Yes, I was ready! And what a truly cathartic experience it was too! I was overwhelmed with emotion, before I had even removed to cover from the kiln - I was scared that my piece might not have survived that brutal firing, or that the things I'd covered it with wouldn't have worked. So when I saw a glimpse of just how beautiful 'she' was I couldn't hold back the tears any longer."

Viewers can see how former teacher Christine fares in the Throwdown final by tuning in next Sunday evening, March 6 on Channel 4 at 7.45pm.

* For our previous reports on Christine's progress through the current Throwdown series and how she has drawn inspiration from her home city of Preston see here and here and

here* To subscribe to the Lancashire Post see here