VILLAGE school caretaker Jacob Bell is showcasing his traditional carpentry skills in a Bake Off-style TV show dedicated to woodworking.

He’s one of 10 finalists from all over the country competing for the Handmade: Britain’s Best Woodworker crown.

Although filming ended in June we can’t say how Jacob did because the series is still being screened, but whatever the result the 23-year-old feels it’s given him new confidence as well as a taste for TV work.

And he’s stayed in touch with the other competitors. He said: “We’re all really good friends and we still talk in the group Whatsapp.”

Jacob’s been interested in woodworking since he was a child. He remembers his grandad pottering around in his shed and later on, helping his dad with DIY projects.

He had to wait until he reached college to start woodworking lessons and while the training would have been useful for a career as a carpenter in the building trade, he wanted to do something more creative. So he took up a furniture-making course, qualifying in 2018.

But it wasn’t until he moved from Canterbury to Winterton to be with girlfriend Boni that he was finally able to start turning a hobby into a trade. “Moving here was what helped kick start the whole making furniture and making money out of it thing.”

He began passing on some of his skills to pupils at the school in a woodwork club and took on the role of caretaker. “It’s amazing how much they love sanding wood,” he said. The job helps to pay the bills and allows him to buy what he needs for his woodwork projects.

Boni’s mum spotted the TV show when they were watching a YouTube programme. Instantly Jacob decided he was going to try for a spot in the second series. He put in his application with pictures of his work, but he’d almost forgotten about it until he got a voicemail from a producer months later.

Applicants had been whittled down from thousands to just 20 when he auditioned over Zoom for one of the 10 spaces. The birdhouse he made in just two and-a-half hours won him his slot.

He was nervous when the cameras eventually started rolling but he soon relaxed. In fact he almost misses them since filming ended.

“We got so comfortable with it in the end it feels odd to be in the workshop on my own," he said.

The show follows competitors as they build their designs over two days. The first challenge was a table. Last week Jacob built a children’s toy woodworking bench complete with tools. It stands just 45cms tall and it’s his favourite piece. He was told by the show's experts it would be worth about £2,000 if it went on sale and it would probably be snapped up if he took the plans to toy retailer Hamleys.

But for the moment he’s content to broaden his range – although he wouldn’t mind another shot at doing TV in the future. In the meantime he’s thinking of making videos of his builds and posting them on YouTube.

Watch Jacob on Wednesdays at 8pm on Channel 4 or online on All 4.

Index