Before I go ahead and tell you all about The Big Flower Fight, you should know that if there's a reality show with a skill element then I'm glued. I've seen every episode of Bake Off and binge-watched Blown Away. I inhaled Next in Fashion and even waited patiently for the weekly episodes of Making The Cut on Amazon Prime. Reality. Competition. Skill. And The Big Flower Fight has all of them.
Forget what you know about floristry and flower arranging. This is no ordinary group of contestants. Hailing from the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Holland and Denmark, ten teams of two battle it out over a series of challenges in a bid to be crowned champions. The winner gets the honour of designing their own sculpture to be put on display in London’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The show is hosted by Natasia Demetriou and Vic Reeves who are really there for moral support. The primary judge on each episode is famed floral designer Kristen Griffith-Vanderyacht. He is joined by a specialist in each round. Between them, they must decide which couple has won and which pair have unfortunately done the worst and must go home.
The contestants range from artists and florists to those who specialise in elaborate designs but none have experience in every category. So it ends up being a pretty level playing field, though some stand out more than others.
Each round tests the contestant's creativity and knowledge, pushing them more and more as the show progresses. The ‘flower fight' element comes in to play when the door to the nursery opens and they must get the items they need for their designs. With limited supplies it's a battle to get all of the elements needed.
With eight episodes, including the grand finale, the creations are incredible. From giant representations of animals to couture fashion using only flowers, it's as much about pure creativity as it is meticulously working to a time-frame. It was particularly nice to see the producers pay such attention to the way all the entries were displayed for the judges.
Overall The Big Flower Fight is a triumph in highlighting sheer skill and imagination. The designs are beyond stunning and the people they put on the show are really lovely to watch. It's a hit and here's hoping for season 2!
