At the start of summer summer after I had just finished my second year at London College of Fashion in bespoke Tailoring, I came across the opportunity to apply to be on a BBC show called Young Tailor of the Year. So I did, I wasn't that confident as I hadn't much experience but I thought, 'hey why not' even if I got through the first stage it would look good on my CV.

After the initial application I was invited in for an on camera interview and a small test to see how much people new about the craft. I saw some familiar faces, mainly apprentices on Savile Row and former students which just confirmed to me that I didn't have the experience to get any further. So I went in with an air of confidence, the sort you have when you are doing something in which you have nothing to lose. I thought 'hey, nice day out, get to meet some more people from the trade'.

Maybe I was a little hard on my self as I new all the answers to the questions and have an extensive knowledge of tailoring. Which is why I was happy when I received an email say that I had got through to the penultimate 20 down from 200 applicants and I was invited up to manchester for a filmed practical challenge.

Again I went along not expecting too much, if anything I thought this would be a great way to meet girls. The task was to pad stitch an under collar, which was a doddle as I am good at shaping under collars and they always come out awesome. I was also asked to take something I had made, so I took my grey Prince of Whales Check jacket with purple lapels and under sleeves, which was some really good work that I was proud of. It was a Tommy Nutter inspired jacket and I think the judges, Mark Powell and Richard Anderson liked it.

The Jacket I took to the interview which I had made

When my name was called out at the end of the day to say that I had made it though to the final four, I was shocked....but not surprised. After all the stages I felt like I had done well and deserved to be there.

Unfortunately that is where my luck ran out (not that it was luck but where my skill and confidence reached it's limit). The nonchalance of not thinking I was going to get through probably gave me the confidence to pass each challenge. But now I was in the final four and through to the studio filming all the nerves hit me at once. Knowing that I was up against three Savile Row tailors all of which have day-to-day professional training were I was still a student.

Up against it I was. On the first day after hair and make up first thing we were put straight into the studio with no warning or preparation of what the challenges would be and the presenter George Lamb blow the whistle and we were off....One hour to complete the finishing hand stitching to a waistcoat. Just my rotten luck, finishings are possibly my biggest weakness and not surprising as before two years prier I had not even picked up a needle and thread before. But I did my best, I appreciate the judges comments and it is something I need to work on. But it wasn't bad, but I knew then I was on the bottom of the pile at that stage.

Feeling I little disheartened after the first challenge I tried to pick myself up and not let it knock my confidence for the next challenge. Now this was hard as after 'action!' was called for the next challenge and being told we had to draft, cut and make a first baste pair of trouser in two and a half hours. My heart sank, at first I thought ok it is a tough time scale but at least this challenge is more suited to what I am good at. That was until I was told I had to draft from memory......'I'm sorry what?! a trouser baste in two and half hours from memory! I think you must be getting 'Young Tailor of the Year' confused with 'Tailor of the Year'. Thats when the pressure got the better of me. It's hard enough working when someone is watching you but when there is about ten cameras on you, two owners of Savile Row Houses, a famous presenter and all the friends, family, and crew it all gets a little to much.

For the life of me I couldn't remember what Oxford bags where, which I felt pretty silly about after. There was no way I could remember how to draft without my notes and time was ticking way. After about an hour trying to draft I gave up and just cut a pair of trousers by eye, trying to meet the key measurements.

After all that the trouser I cut were pretty good (not good enough as a first baste) but it was a good test of my rock of eye and I thought they were a nice shape. I just wish I had done that from the start then I would have had an extra hour to finish off the rest. So after that it was no surprise that I would be first out, I think I deserved to go out first as based on my performance and at that that point I did not do as well as the others, I was also a little reviled it was over. Well until I saw the next two challenges, as they were much more suited to my abilities, but hindsight is a beautiful thing.

OK I think I accepted defeat pretty well but here is my issue with the whole thing...

I found the whole thing a bit ridiculous. First of all you had jacket makers doing cutting, cutters doing finishings, Makers doing cutting. Thats the equivalent of getting a brick layer to rewire your house because they are both in the building trade. Tailors specialise in different areas because it takes many years to get good and any one part of making a suit. Ok I hear you say, everybody should have an over view of the craft and thats right I'm not disputing that, but then they should have given us some warning to prepare ourselves. What is telling us the day before what the challenges are going to be going to hurt? it just made everyone struggle. Either that or give us a realistic time frame to archive the necessary product. I mean the reason I got into tailoring in the first place was because it was a craft that requires patience, love, care and attention. A suit can take up to eight weeks to make and getting us to rush and cut corners completely defeats the object of what we do, and is more of a shame because I meet so many young talented people all the time in this trade and I just think the show could have done better to showcase that. Not to mention the sponge tables, next time you meet a cutter ask him if works on a sponge table, I think he would laugh in your face.

Other than that it was a really good experience, and by no way let those teething problems with the show detract from what a dissevering winner and a lovely lady Emma Martin is from Dege and Skinner. Not to forget second and third place runners up, Katy Bowles from Pogson and Davis and