Young Carpenter of the Year Young Talent of the Year

The show that searches for the best

in young, hardworking British talent is back.

-LAUGHING:

-Some of this!

This year, with a whole new crop of trades

from tailors to farmers, carpenters to bakers.

If you cut me through, it would say "bread" on the inside.

These grafters are used to being the very best in their business.

Winning is like a drug. The adrenaline it gives you is just phenomenal.

There's nothing like the feeling that you're a winner.

I get a bit addicted to it at times.

But over a series of gruelling rounds, our judges will decide

whose talent really shines out as they push them to breaking point.

I just couldn't do it.

Come on. Show us passion.

I'm passionate... Sorry.

Well, it's hardly chopped the teat off

so I don't think it's quite that drastic.

I think he wants to be put back in his place.

At the end of the day, WE'RE the judges.

With bigger, more extreme challenges than ever before,

this is their chance to prove themselves.

-...to add nutrients, or...

-You have to tell me.

It's one of the basics of gardening.

If you don't get that right, then... Ooh!

This is horrible.

Lots of arithmetic going on but not much action.

You look like you're in a nightmare maths A-level.

I mean, that is really, really, really bad.

I'm disappointed in myself because I know I can do better.

If he spoke to me like that on my farm,

I'd have sent him straight out that gate.

Each of them desperate to convince the experts

they're worthy of the title.

The competition's on. game on.

Tonight, it's the turn of the young carpenters...

So, judges, what are we thinking? Ooh, that's not a good face.

..all wanting to show they're a cut above the competition.

I am gagging for the first place.

With the pressure and time limit, you make mistakes.

But who will sink and who will swim?

Four talented carpenters but only one winner.

Hello, I'm George Lamb and welcome to the show.

Over the last few weeks we've seen Britain's young talent

battle it out to prove they're the very best.

Tonight, it's time for the carpenters

to let their hands do the talking.

No time for a builder's tea break,

because this is Young Carpenter Of The Year.

Hundreds applied, but only the best made it through

to a gruelling test and rigorous interview,

where they had to prove their knowledge and passion for their subject.

-Wood is my passion.

-I do think I could be Young Carpenter Of The Year.

It's a bit of a geeky thing to admit. Especially for a girl.

The top 20 had to face the judges

as their carpentry skills were put to the test

in a nerve-wracking practical challenge.

Absolutely buzzing. Let's see what's next.

I've got my fighting spirit.

With only four places in the final, the competition was fierce

and the splinters were flying.

But, finally, four were chosen.

I eat, sleep, breathe carpentry and joinery.

I'm totally ecstatic, over t'moon.

I was winning national competitions against 25-year-olds when I was 19.

I've got what it takes to win it.

Now that final four must chisel, saw and hammer their way

to become our first-ever Young Carpenter Of The Year.

Time to meet the men who need steady hands and nerves of steel.

Finalist number one, from Leeds,

it's competitive carpenter with a heart,

22-year-old Tirbhavan Singh Chodha.

I've got a great passion for carpentry

and I just want to be an ambassador for the trade.

Our second finalist may be the youngest here, but he's certainly no junior in the carpentry stakes,

it's 19-year-old Tom Barker from Derbyshire.

I've had quite a lot of experience,

so I'll take that into the final so I can win it.

Finalist number three eats, sleeps and breathes carpentry.

From Durham, it's 22-year-old Karl Barker.

I've worked really hard through my apprenticeship,

I've set up my own business

and this would really be the icing on the cake for me.

Last, but by no means least, is our fourth finalist.

Heritage carpenter to the royals, it's 20-year-old Peter Kernan.

I'm determined to be the best

and I'll spend hours and hours on a job until it's perfect.

OK, lads, well done for getting through to the final,

but have you got what it takes

to impress these top-notch men of carpentry?

He's a jack of all trades and a master of carpentry,

it's Jai Godwin.

Jai's top-drawer client list includes Robbie Williams, Madonna and Jamie Oliver,

and he's been dubbed the Rock And Roll Builder.

An expert in listed-building renovation

and modern interior design.

Jai Godwin is the ultimate go-to man in carpentry.

I love the smell of wood,

I love the feel of wood.

I guess it's just ingrained in me.

I don't like a bad attitude.

I like somebody who can, kind of, take the criticism,

move on, learn from it and adapt and listen to what I say,

cos I know what I'm talking about.

What he doesn't know about carpentry,

you could write on the head of a nail.

Meet Phill Williams.

Phill's the international man of carpentry,

learning his trade whilst travelling the world.

His passion for restoring listed properties

and his love of all things wood

means he likes to keep it traditional.

Carpentry to me isn't about earning big bucks.

Sitting at a workshop here, I've got the river.

You can be repairing a boat one day

and tomorrow, I might be fitting a worktop somewhere else.

You don't have to go to university to be Young Carpenter Of The Year,

that's what makes it special.

If you have a passion for the material

and an understanding of the tools

and you've got that skill set, that's all you'll need.

Phil, what are you going to be looking for in this competition?

I think, to be the best, you have to be able to innovate.

-I want to see people that love wood, that want to be able to use it.

-OK.

Jai, what are you going to look for

in arguably the four best young carpenters in the country?

To cut it, you've got to be single-minded, but, above all,

hardworking, so some serious hard graft's what I want to see.

All right. It's almost time to get things started.

Our judges have devised four very tough carpentry challenges.

What you're about to experience will be more gruelling

than the trickiest of customers you've ever had to deal with.

So, this is the warm up before the big game.

We're going to test all of those essential skills

that you need to be a carpenter.

And all they really need to do here, is measure twice, cut once,

but keep one eye on the clock.

OK, gentlemen, we know you've probably fitted

more skirting boards than I've had hot dates,

but for your first challenge,

we want to see who's the sharpest tool in the box,

able to negotiate our intricate maze of skirting.

And with just 45 minutes to complete the task,

this will be carpentry under pressure.

It's time to set the benchmark.

Let's get going.

It's the crucial first challenge to find Young Carpenter Of The Year,

and for our four opponents, it's a race to their tool bags.

As the battle begins to see who will be crowned king of the carpenters.

Our judges have conceived an intricate maze

that will test our finalists' precision in basic carpentry.

So, they have to measure, cut and fit eight joints,

fixing the pieces of skirting to the maze,

which has various levels of difficulty.

From a standard, outside, 90 degree angle

to the toughest, inside, 135 degree angle.

They only have enough wood to complete the maze,

so any mistakes and they've blown it.

With power tools banned and a strict time limit,

this is a chance for the judges to see

how they perform under intense pressure.

Judges, why skirting?

It looks quite simple, but it tests every single skill of a carpenter,

and that's your cutting and that's your measuring,

and if these guys can't do that at this stage, they've got no chance.

But perfectionist Tibby hasn't even touched the skirting.

Instead, he kicks off by constructing

a wooden template with guide slots

that he hopes will create precise joints every time.

You're the only one who's made a mitre box, Tibby.

Aye, well... Preparation, isn't it?

Do you think your mitre block's going to help you in the time?

Yeah, I think it'll, hopefully, help me, yeah.

But could this meticulous approach cost him?

Cutting these angles, we should be able to do them freehand.

I admire him for doing it, but I just worry

that Tibby doing that is eating too much into his time.

The other three carpenters have measured and cut

their skirting and begin to attach sections to their maze.

But the judges have spotted that Tom, the youngest competitor,

is already cutting corners.

What's the craic with Tom, guys?

The first length of skirting, he had it sprawled out across the bench.

He was, kind of, leaning on it.

He didn't choose to clamp it or anything. We're just concerned,

you know, is he going to get a precise cut?

I think he's feeling the pressure a little bit.

-How are we doing, Karl?

-Not too bad.

-You've got more on than anybody else, I think.

-You're going for it, Karl.

How do you think your angles are coming up, there?

Uh, not great after being used to modern-day power tools, but...

What if you're working somewhere where you can't get power, then?

We're in the middle of the countryside, there's no power.

-Then I'd have to do it this way, wouldn't I?

-Yeah.

Or hire a generator.

Cheeky, chippy Karl certainly knows how to handle his wood.

If anybody's better than me then I'd like to see what they're doing.

Carpentry is his life. He absolutely loves it.

But grafter Karl hasn't always had it his own way.

When I got made redundant

it was pretty much the worst feeling in the world.

Not one to stay down for long,

Karl set out to prove he's the best in HIS business.

I set up my own carpentry business.

It's a good feeling. It's probably the best thing that I've ever done.

He's going to make a future for himself

and, fingers crossed, that's what'll happen.

And winning Young Carpenter Of The Year

would mean everything to Karl.

Deep down, I am gagging for the first place.

I mean, that's where I want to be.

Back in the competition, and with the clock ticking,

the carpenters have picked up the pace.

Karl has fixed the most skirting board on, but now seems to be taking it off.

He seemed to get off to an absolute flyer, and I noticed he took

a couple of pieces of skirting board off.

I don't know if he's spotted something and he's trying to re-address the quality

which is great, but I'm just a little bit concerned,

cos they've only got enough skirting to do the whole lot.

It's the critical halfway point.

Of the seven sections of skirting to attach,

perfectionist, Tibby, only has two pieces on his maze.

Tom has three sections and Peter also has three sections in place.

But they're all far from finished and the judges are worried.

They're all struggling for time, aren't they now? Everyone.

Yeah. I can't see any of them, at this rate, finishing.

Our royal carpenter, Peter, is not used to deadlines.

It seems time's not an issue for HIS boss.

You were obviously doing a lot of really intricate work,

so must be used to a fairly high standard of finish.

There's never time limits at the castle,

just take as long as you need,

as long as it's a good job at the end of it.

Out of hundreds of young applicants,

Peter struck gold and landed his dream job

at one of the most prestigious addresses in the country.

Windsor Castle.

He might be in sumptuous surroundings,

but with about 1,000 rooms full of historic timber,

he's certainly got his graft cut out.

A heritage carpenter by royal appointment,

Peter believes he's a cut above.

There is more skill in heritage joinery,

because rather than making something new to go in a square frame

it's going to be how to twist and how to square,

so it just seems more difficult and more interesting.

And then it goes back in, it could be there for 300 or 400 years again

and the Queen could be using it every day

when she's walking her corgis.

Peter's lucky, there's only a few carpenters working in private residences

of members of the royal family,

so, yeah, he is, pretty much, one of the chosen few.

And our right, royal chippy

wants to be the jewel in the crown of carpenters.

It would mean a lot for me to win.

I'm going to go into the competition and give it 110%

-Are you happy with your work so far?

-Uh, it's not too bad. It could be better.

-What could be better?

There's a few gaps there, that's not going back to the wall, but... Painter can fill it.

-PETER LAUGHS

-Can he? Costs money, though.

It's not a job for one's servants, Peter.

Pete concerns me. His attitude was one of, you know,

"It's OK, the decorators'll get over it."

And, you know, this guy works at Windsor Castle.

You can't pass it on to traders down the line.

You've got to do your work good enough, get it done.

With minutes to go, the carpenters knock their skirting into shape.

They're all battling to finish in the time allowed,

and Tibby is seriously focused.

-Are you happy with your joints?

-Yeah. I mean, with the time limit,

I think it couldn't be any better, really.

Exhausted, they make a final push to the finish line.

Start thinking about finishing up!

Gentlemen, five...

four...

three...

two...

one, and tools down, please.

Your time's up, step away from your skirting boards.

Our young carpenters were floored by the challenge

and none of them completed their maze.

Now it's down to judges Phill and Jai,

too men who never skirt round the issues.

-Tibby.

-All right?

-Not seeing that much down there. Are you happy?

Well... I mean, I could have done more, but, obviously,

I took a bit of time producing my mitre box. Um...

With hindsight, do you think maybe you should have done those by eye a little bit more, then?

Maybe I could have done, but I just wanted them to be perfect.

The judges were impressed with Tibby's perfectionist nature,

but does quality win over quantity in their minds?

I tried jumping on to that side, which isn't easy to do.

What was the thinking behind that, Tibby?

I wanted to impress you. Obviously, these are easy.

90 degree mitres. I thought I might as well take a risk.

-Gave it my best shot, and, uh, hopefully it's good enough.

-All right, Tibby.

I concentrated too much on the quality than the quantity,

but I think the quality of my work were quite good,

probably better than some of the other lads that did more than me.

-How're we doing, Karl?

-All right.

Well, that's a big old gap in the middle there, mate!

I mean, I don't have any formal qualifications

but that's probably not right, is it?

-Definitely not right.

-Karl started with all guns blazing,

but hit a stumbling block halfway through the challenge,

and his rushed approach has led to shoddy workmanship.

You seemed to get off to a real flying start, Karl,

and then I noticed, did you take something off and start again

because you wasn't happy, or...?

Um... I just, kind of...

I started with this piece.

It was about a mil too long, so I shaved a little bit off there

because it was just bringing this piece slightly proud.

Big mistake, really, so...

Your mission statement, Karl, is that you consistently deliver.

-Do you think you've done that here?

-No, in all honesty.

Just on that piece there, I don't think I've hit it on the money.

-But that aside, you're happy with everything else?

-Yeah.

-OK.

It does feel like a bit of a personal attack.

That's probably because I enjoy what I do so much

that it is my passion, and to hear something like that, it does...

It does, kind of, get to you.

Although not used to working against the clock at the castle,

our royal carpenter, Peter, has actually got the most skirting on.

-Are you happy?

-Er, it could have been better.

-Yeah?

-I could have finished it.

-Of course you didn't finish it.

-Well, you're not used to time constraints, are you?

-No.

-What do you think of your hammering?

-Well, yeah.

A couple of times there was half moon marks on it.

We already established, though, the decorator was going to get that.

-I was joking when I said that, but, yeah...

-OK. OK.

I don't think, even if I did it again

with a different mindset, I'd get it all finished.

I think the time restraint was just too tight.

Our teen carpenter, Tom,

never really recovered from his wobbly start

and of the four, has achieved the least.

I mean, in the heats, Tom, your work was some of the best work.

But here, you know, we've got some gaps on all of those joints.

I found it very challenging under pressure, so...

I feel I could have done better, really.

-Would the client be happy with those?

-No, I wouldn't say so.

-Even this one, look.

-No.

-Sticking out a bit.

Really, I know I can do a lot better, but it's just being under pressure and everything

and then nothing really worked out.

Jai, what's going on? They couldn't finish it.

I know. I'm really, really disappointed. I'm shocked, actually.

I was expecting at least one of them to get round and complete it.

Absolutely. Well, let's run through them. Tibby.

The mitre block, what it showed to me was attitude. He wanted to make the perfect job.

And really, out of all the contestants,

it's his passion that's really shone through.

Tom. What happened to Tom? He just lost it, he just melted. Fell apart.

He's still learning, it's an intimidating environment. We've said it throughout this challenge,

it's basic, module one carpentry. Nothing was glued, he didn't even attempt to fix anything.

He had that moment where he had the wood wobbling about,

wobbling all over, wanding his wood around the workshop, didn't he? It was all floppy.

Karl, I had high hopes with Karl coming in here,

but again, with a bit of pressure, maybe...

He was like a bull in a china shop, you know? He's a strapping lad,

he's got the gusto, he's got the force,

but I think that showed in some of his work.

The first thing you do is you plan it out in your head.

You make a mental note of what it is that you've got to do.

And I didn't see any of them do that,

especially Karl, unfortunately.

I wouldn't want a price off any of these to put skirting round my room.

-Peter.

-He did, out of all four, put the most wood on to that template.

When he started, he got off to a really slow start,

and he made that point about, "You can take your time,"

which is all right if you're working for the Queen,

but working for the public, you can't do that.

When he said about, again,

just letting a decorator come in after him and finish.

Now, he said he was joking, but it's an attitude thing.

There's one thing I cannot stand and that's tradesmen passing it off on to the following tradesman.

Carpenters. Time to find out what our experts think.

Let's start off with Tibby, please, gentlemen.

Tibby. I loved the fact that you wanted to tackle the difficult part

of the challenge and jump to those difficult cuts.

Disappointed you didn't finish,

and that goes for the other finalists as well,

so maybe in the next round it's just to have a bit more of a plan.

Tom. Youngest person here.

You're still, really, at the start of you career.

You knew today, some of your joints weren't quite there.

Just start to think ahead a little bit more,

understand what you've got to do.

You proved that you're a great carpenter. That's why you're here,

-you just need to show us that.

-Karl,

a little bit more attention to detail, you know? Have a plan.

You know how much time we're getting allotted for these challenges.

Try and break that down into minutes and divide up your time,

what you need to get done.

Peter. I just worry a little bit about your attitude.

You made a couple of remarks, there.

Again, for the next round, focus, start thinking about you,

as a carpenter, out in the real world

and just take it that one little step further.

Judges, if you did have to send somebody home now, who would it be?

I think after this round it would be...

Tom.

-How about you, Phil?

-Yeah, Tom.

All right, chaps. The good news is nobody is going home at this stage.

You've still got another round to impress, all right?

The bad news is, one of you will be leaving after the next challenge.

After such a dressing down from the judges,

our contenders friends and families are on hand to offer their support.

The judges just, really... Cos mine weren't up...

As good as everyone else's, then,

if it would be a knock-out this round then I would come out.

On your next challenge, just see what it is, plan it out,

take it carefully and do the best you can.

-They weren't happy with a couple of comments I made and my attitude, so...

-Attitude to what?

Attitude to the work, I imagine,

so I'll just try and not talk as much to them next time.

They were impressed with, like, using my initiative

and jumping from that side to that other side,

which I could have...

Really, I should have started on that side first.

It was just one silly mistake. I don't feel threatened by that, so...

Well, I think, you know, it's pressure, isn't it?

For this next challenge, you might think we've gone slightly quackers,

but believe me, there is method to our madness.

Most carpenters love to be creative, and in this challenge,

our finalists are certainly going to get the chance

to show us their artistic flair.

Since the time of Noah's Ark, we've always known

that wood can make a great floating home for our animal friends,

and it just so happens that we've got some ducks...

DUCKS GABBLE ..in need of a new home on the water,

and then it's up to you to design and build

a floating palace for our feathered friends.

It just needs to include a pitched roof.

Jai, what are you going to be looking for in the duck houses?

I'd like to see the guys' personalities come through.

It's their chance to get creative.

-Phil?

-I want to see a beautifully pitched roof.

It's difficult to do a roof.

Gentlemen, you each have to design a duck house that floats,

but you do not have a lot of time.

Just 90 minutes, to be exact.

Your time starts now. Let's get "quacking".

The carpenters are against the clock

to knock up a knock-out home for their feathered friends.

They've been given the base, but need to make sure

the finished product stays balanced and afloat,

so design and preparation are critical.

Can I get a little look at that sketch

that you've knocked up already?

Right, you've just drawn a hexagon.

You're taking a bit of a gamble that it's all going to come together at the top, yeah?

-Yeah.

-OK.

They have free rein on the style of their ducks' digs,

but their floating homes must have a pitched roof.

That's a sloping roof to you and I.

This will be a real test

of a carpenter's technical ability to measure angles

and work out mathematically how the wood comes together.

In this all-important second challenge,

no-one wants to be a sitting duck,

as after this, one of them will be going home.

And with just 90 minutes to complete the challenge,

this really will sort out the men from the boys.

In the last challenge, Karl's bullish approach

didn't impress the judges, but this time, he isn't jumping in feet first.

So, this is good prep work he's doing?

-Yeah, yeah.

-He's using his vice as well, thinking on his feet.

He's one of the few that's not put a ring of wood around the bottom.

On a wooden base, you don't need the ring around the bottom.

Which is saving time.

Peter, our carpenter to the Queen, is making his excuses.

Or possibly looking for a royal pardon?

I've never done a roof since college, so... It's going to be making it up as I go along, really.

You've got to think on your feet as a carpenter.

You've done that, you can do this.

It'll be roof-shaped at the end, and water-tight.

-And good enough for ducks.

-Good enough for royal ducks?

-Or swans.

-Or swans, OK.

Ooh, posh.

Tibby's pursuit for perfection

hindered his chances in the first task,

so this time, he's keeping it simple.

I've got this as a template, so...

So, this drawing you've got here, this is your roof design, yeah?

I'm going to put a rafter here, a rafter here...

A bit of improvisation as we go along.

Tibby is a top-notch carpenter

with six years experience under his tool belt.

But this talented tradesman lacks just one basic skill.

He struggles to cut corners.

Anything I do, I like to do to the best of my abilities.

I mean, even if something's not going to be seen,

I like to do it as it's going to be seen, so,

I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

And this perfectionist nature has won him a wall full of awards

and a legion of fans.

Well, his own family.

He's always had a lot of patience.

When he's done anything, he's taken a lot of time

to finish something off.

He's always followed everything through,

so, yeah, we're very proud of him.

Tibby also uses his talents for a greater good.

He recently transformed the holy room at his local Sikh temple.

To transform this room, altogether it took, probably, about a year.

That was working nights, weekends,

sometimes we were doing all-nighters.

But it was... I really enjoyed it.

Voluntary work, in Punjabi it's called seva,

which means "selfless service".

Sikhs are encouraged to do selfless service, not just in Sikh temples

but in hospitals, old people's homes and community centres, so...

I like to always put something into the community.

I feel a great sense of satisfaction inside.

Back on the shop floor,

the judges are looking for the best designer duck house,

and Karl has got some big ideas.

-That's going to be the top.

-I've got you now, right.

There's going to be, um...some pillars there for it to stand on.

And that'll sit on top and then, hopefully... Go in over there.

-These are massive ducks, Karl.

-They are big ducks.

They're huge ducks, OK.

The clock is counting down and the judges are in the hush room

to assess what the boys have knocked up so far.

Peter, who's our heritage carpenter, he should be able to build us something beautiful

and can sit in the garden of the Queen.

But he's saying he's not experienced at roofing,

so is he going to fall over with that roof? I'm worried.

He's continually, kind of, making these excuses

before he's made the mistake.

Perfectionist Tibby, is following a basic design,

but for him, the devil's in the detail

and he seems to have forgotten there's also a deadline.

Perfection's coming at a price. He seems way behind, at the moment.

It's quite a simple design, he's doing,

and he's still taking quite a while to do it.

19-year-old Tom has taken on board the judges' comments from the first challenge, and is motoring through.

He's a lovely lad, and I think he has the ability...

He's definitely got the ability. He is a great carpenter, that's why he's here.

I just want to see some passion coming out of him.

Hopefully he can let it go in the next 20 minutes.

-How did you get into carpentry?

-Ever since I were at school, really.

I've always enjoyed it and then me teachers

kept pushing me and pushing me, cos I weren't the best

at maths and English, this is what I could do.

So I took it for GCSE and I come out top in the school.

-Oh, well done, mate.

-You have to do what you're interested in.

Absolutely, mate.

Tom, the youngest in the competition,

was never one for burying his head in books,

but found his confidence in carpentry.

Tom struggled at school,

but he found woodwork was something which he could gain points with.

And because he's really tried, look what can happen.

I mean, he could come home from school,

lose himself in the garage for hours

just messing about with wood, cutting and carving.

He's gone from cluttering the house with his school woodwork projects

to the consummate career carpenter for a home reservations company,

tackling the countless timber-based tasks that come his way.

I fit doors, windows, kitchens, all the little niggly bits.

-LAUGHTER OFF CAMERA

-Sometimes, too many to remember.

I fit doors, windows, kitchens,

stairs, roofing, stud work. We do absolutely everything.

And winning the competition would be the final seal of approval.

If I won Young Carpenter Of The Year, it would be a brilliant thing.

It would really give him confidence and make him flourish even more.

15 minutes left, guys. 15 minutes to go.

With time running out,

the carpenters are hard pushed to complete their homes on the water.

Karl's house is on a grand scale, but has he set the bar too high?

-Pretty ambitious design, that.

-That is a very ambitious design.

-You're a brave man.

-Ambition's good, though. I like to see that.

The judges are worried that Tom's house is still missing

an essential element.

The pitched roof.

There needs to be a miracle, there needs to be a roof under that bench.

I just cannot see him finishing or getting anywhere near done.

Gentlemen, you've got five minutes to go. Five minutes left!

With just minutes left, the boys are pulling out all the stops

to try and complete the challenge.

I see smoke. I see smoke.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

Tools down, please.

Time's up, and the judges need a closer look.

Tom got the basic structure but, after a disastrous last round,

has he done enough to stay in the competition?

Tommy.

Oh, dear.

What happened?

I've got a basic idea what I'm doing but it's going to take time.

Well, I think what you've done you've done well.

It's just a shame you didn't get a bit further down the road with it.

Yeah.

You just need to pick that pace up, and I think you'd have got that roof on.

Perfectionist Tibby went back to basics with his design.

He's got the pitched roof, but it looks like that's all he's got.

-You did spend a long time doing all this beautiful detail up here.

-Yeah.

I didn't want to leave sharp edges, because my initial plan was to put

felt strips down here and on the top as well, just obviously waterproof.

But I just ran out of time.

Karl's grand design looks impressive,

but is it enough to wow the judges?

You're happy with the height for the duck?

-Yeah. Definitely.

-We can get a first floor in there as well.

-Upstairs and downstairs.

-You're definitely ambitious.

The final round before the elimination, so I just went all-out.

Royal carpenter Peter was out of his comfort zone in this challenge,

but has he managed to pull off a floating palace?

-It's good.

-I think you've cracked on really well with it.

I'm really impressed by it.

And, you know, it's a good design, I think.

You know, it's whether it's going to float, and our ducks like it.

Karl's calmed down a little bit now.

The nerves have subsided a little bit

and he's just trying to focus on what he's doing, basically.

But I think maybe he's been a little bit too ambitious.

Tom's done extremely well. He's had some difficulty

but he's doing the best he can under the circumstances.

I think Peter's duck house is looking OK.

I'd have liked to have seen him do more to the roof

rather than concentrate on the sides.

His mother's been waiting about two years for one!

Tibby's played it safe. At least it's got a roof on.

I just hope it floats. And all the ducks are dry!

Gentlemen, I'm sure you didn't think we were going to end this without putting your duck houses to the test.

Can we have the doors open, please?

It's the moment of truth. Will the duck houses sink or swim?

So, this is it, carpenters. Please release your houses.

How we doing? It's all right, they're all floating. So far, so good.

-Perfect. They're all floating.

-Could we bring in the ducks, please? Bring in the ducks!

QUACKING

# All the ducks are swimming in the water... #

Never really commentated on ducks finding homes before.

They're thinking about it, they're circling.

Here we go. Come on.

Yeah! We've got a winner, guys! We've got a winner!

QUACKING

All right, all right, all right.

The thing with Tibby was there was too much time spent on trying to do all the intricate bits and pieces.

And he just got bogged down in that detail.

I think, out of all of them, his was maybe the best, sort of, finished.

Whether it was the design that I liked most, I'm not quite sure.

Tom, for me, he didn't seem to have a clear enough design in his head.

We said to him that he needed to up his game. For whatever reason,

he didn't do it.

Karl. Bit of an ambitious design. I liked it, though.

I just wish he'd have got a bit more of the outside or the roof on.

We talked about how high his house was, would the ducks love it. They were the first ducks on board.

Peter. I still don't quite get him.

You know he's got the skill but he keeps making excuses for himself

and why he's not doing good enough work.

I've said all along it's about attitude. Attitude is something you've either got or you haven't.

Carpenters, our judges have seen your skills over two rounds.

-Phill, if you'd like to start the feedback with Tibby, please.

-Yeah.

Your duck house, although I'm still questioning

whether that's a duck house, on the water it looked OK.

Tom, what you did actually do, I think,

had you had time to finish it, would have been, in my opinion,

the best one, because I think you worked to a pretty high standard.

Karl, we gave you some advice and you came out and you listened.

Your design was bold but you only had so long in this task

and you were well short of finishing.

Peter, your attitude is still not there at the moment.

I feel like you're making a lot of excuses about why you can't do something.

The reality is, you can.

The first carpenter to leave the competition...

..is Tom.

Although the judges were impressed by Tom's commitment to carpentry,

in the first round he got lost in the maze of skirting board

and in the second challenge the judges were looking for

a spark of creativity, but his duck house failed to come up to the mark.

Overall, I chose the most complicated design, so, yeah,

if I had got it all done it would have been the wow factor

and it would have been impressive, but I just couldn't get it all done.

Yeah. Well done.

Well done for getting through to the final three, guys.

-Peter, how are you feeling?

-Relieved.

-You think you can get a little more positive?

-Mm, yeah.

-The "mm" before the "yeah", Peter, that's hardly positive.

-Yeah.

'I thought the feedback was bang on.'

I've got to keep my design more simple and deliver a really good piece of carpentry.

'I'm hoping I'll stick around for the final'

and hopefully get better each time and hopefully win the title.

'I'm glad I got through. I don't really understand what they mean about me attitude still.'

I'll try to change it again, but I tried changing it for this round and it didn't make any difference.

Coming up, we tighten the vice,

as the remaining three get the grilling of their lives.

Not too sure on that one. It's not something that I use.

Do you want to keep thinking?

And the final two go head-to-head in the ultimate test

to determine who will take the title.

The first young Carpenter Of The Year is...

So, gentlemen, time for our judges to find out a little bit about you,

find out just how passionate you are about your profession.

-Are you ready, Tibby?

-I'm ready, yeah.

-Yeah?

-The judges are through there. Good luck, mate.

-Cheers.

Tibby, in manufactured boards, what does the term letter MR stand for?

-Moisture resistance.

-BING!

-Moisture resistant?

-BING!

-Moisture resistant?

-BING!

When using an air compressor,

which three items of safety clothing should you wear?

Er, you should have your safety goggles on and, I would say, some gloves.

Some protective...gloves.

Do you want to keep thinking?

-I'm not sure on that one.

-BUZZER

Goggles

Dust mask.

-And earplugs.

-BUZZER

-Goggles, ear defenders and boots?

-BING!

What is the name of the vertical structure that divides a window into sections?

-Er, a transom.

-BUZZER

-Mullion?

-BING!

-Er, that would be a mullion.

-BING!

OK, Karl, which is the odd one out,

a half lap, a scarf joint or a loose tongue?

-Loose tongue.

-BING!

-You've done plenty of these.

-Yeah, I know what a half lap is. Scarf joint...

I think I know what that is. Loose tongue...

-I'd say a scarf joint.

-BUZZER

-Going to go for loose tongue.

-BING!

Why do you think you should be Young Carpenter Of The Year?

I've got great passion, committed, dedicated.

I think I'm just very creative, very innovative.

I love the passion of working at Windsor Castle and fixing something the Queen or the Duke might use,

doors and gates that have been there for hundreds of years.

Could you see you being there for hundreds of years?

Maybe not hundreds of years but hopefully a few, 50, 60 years.

I think I'm 110% passionate about what I do.

It is a big part of my life, so I'm just trying my best to get there.

Anything I do, I do to perfection, and I use the correct methods,

-and I think I should be the Young Carpenter Of The Year, yeah.

-Thank you.

-Thanks. Cheers.

In the grilling, Karl answered seven out of the ten questions correctly.

Tibby did better, with eight.

But in this round Peter had the highest score, of nine.

'I think I did quite well, to be honest with you.'

I slipped up on a couple, but...I was quite quick. I'm not sure if that was a good thing.

-I got a couple of questions wrong, two or three, I don't know.

-How many questions were there?

-About ten.

I think I've done enough to stay.

In the practical I've used the correct methods all the time,

which none of the other competitors did.

'I felt I could have done better. I think it would be a shame if I went, failing on a few theory questions.'

I'd be quite disappointed if I left now, but I've done my best, so I'm pleased with that.

Jai, I've got a smile on my face, because they all did so well.

None of them have surprised me. They've all raised their game.

We knew that Karl was good technically. Tibby too, to be fair.

-Yeah, Tibby too.

-Peter surprised me.

I didn't think he'd know that much technically, looking at his job.

If we look over the three challenges, though, who enthuses,

who makes you believe that they can create something wonderful for you?

I believe, in this industry,

you have to sell yourself as much as your craft.

It's so, so tough, and I thought it was going to be easy. The fact is that one of them has to go.

We've got three carpenters, only two places in the final.

If we can start with Tibby, please.

Tibby, I believe you have the passion and you have the finesse,

all the things that I'd require as a potential employer or a client.

But you really do need to find a balance between that perfectionism

and keeping up the momentum.

Peter, I know you love carpentry,

that to you this is more than a trade, this is a skill for you.

But I worry about where you'd go from Windsor Castle.

For you to get through, Peter, I have to see that ambition from you.

Karl, you've got the skill and the craft,

but I do believe you are overambitious.

You attack things without much forethought.

I worry that you haven't got that balance between getting the job done and creating something beautiful.

All right, gentlemen, the next carpenter to leave the competition is...

It's you, Peter.

-Well done for getting this far.

-Thank you.

Peter showed off his skills with skirting in the first round

but in the second challenge he had problems with the roof

and, although he did well in the grilling, the judges felt he lacked ambition

and overall didn't have enough to keep him in the competition.

Thanks. All right, thanks.

'I've won competitions before based on my joinery,'

so I just feel I've been kicked out of this because of my attitude and people skills.

So, Tibby, Karl. You're through to the final.

One of you will be crowned Young Carpenter Of The Year.

-How are you feeling?

-All right.

'Absolutely fantastic. We're so pleased, over the moon.'

Absolutely over the moon. Me nerves are shot to bits, though.

It's been a good experience. To be in the top two, though, just...

feels good.

-Well, just stay calm and just do everything, take everything...

-Just be focused.

-Yeah.

It's time for the final face-off, and the pressure's on.

It's in front of an audience made up of family and friends.

Welcome back our two finalists. APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

So, there's two of you left but only one title up for grabs.

Judges, what have you got planned for 'em?

You've got just three hours to fit and finish a domestic kitchen.

Your time starts now.

With nothing more than a plan to follow,

Karl and Tibby have to build a kitchen from scratch.

Two of the country's top young carpenters,

our boys have just three hours to complete the task.

That means no tea breaks, lads.

They will have to fit the cupboards, doors, drawers, handles,

worktops, washing machines, a hob and an oven.

Basically everything. Including the kitchen sink.

The lads crack on with the kitchens,

but the judges aren't happy with their plan of attack.

Judges, what are we thinking?

-Ooh, that's not a good face.

-Not my best face.

Karl, when we told him the challenge, the look on his face was, "I haven't got enough time."

He's gone in... bull in a china shop.

And Tibby's on a go-slow.

I kind of see him measuring so much and I'm just thinking, is he going to get bogged down again?

He might struggle, because there are things later on, cutting a hole in a worktop,

he's going to be really precise with that and take a long time.

But, regardless of the time pressure,

Tibby refuses to do a rushed job.

-He's very methodical, isn't he?

-He is, yeah.

When he does do his work, he's representing carpenters, so he doesn't want to do a bad job.

Do you get him doing much stuff for you around the house?

-I've got a list when he's finished!

-Really?

-He's got a long list.

Karl is looking at home in his kitchen.

-So, Christine, he's really passionate about his trade?

-He is very, yeah.

-Did he show any leanings towards it when he was younger?

-He always wanted a real power workshop toy

but I'd never let him because I thought it was too dangerous. And now look what he's doing!

Despite their different working styles,

Karl and Tibby are neck and neck.

Their kitchens are starting to take shape.

What they don't realise is that they have both made a fatal blunder.

-Right, guys, what's going on? I see there's trouble brewing here.

-Yeah.

They've gone straight into it, put the units in,

but there needs to be, between one run of units and the other, a little corner post.

A corner post is the most vital part of a fitted kitchen.

It keeps distance between two corner units.

Without this, you will not be able to open drawers or cupboards,

and the kitchen is quite frankly a waste of space.

They've both forgotten to put it in, and they're going to find out

when they see that bit of wood on the floor.

Disaster.

The carpenters are clueless about the huge mistake they've made.

There is a chance that they won't pick it up until we try and open those drawers.

Then I'd like to see their faces.

Stop press. The judges think they can breathe a sigh of relief,

as Tibby discovers the corner post.

Tibby's just picked it up.

But they cannot believe what they're seeing.

He's used it as a guide, clamped it to his worktop,

and he's now got a saw on the end of his worktop.

He hasn't realised. That's a massively important part of his kitchen.

-He's going to be gutted when he realises he's done that.

-Devastated.

With both carpenters completely missing the point

of a corner post, the judges have no choice

but to look for good workmanship in the rest of the kitchen.

Gentlemen, you've got one hour left, one hour to go.

Time is not on their side

and the boys are really up against it to get the job finished.

And Karl is feeling the pressure.

You don't really get your builder coming round and fitting your kitchen in three hours, do you?

-Nah, it just proves now that it can be done.

-It hasn't been done yet.

Right, OK. Crack on, mate.

Feeling his shot at the title is under real threat,

Karl plays a tactical move in an effort to psych out the competition.

Karl's actually chose to get the oven and get that put in, which at this stage of the game...

If he's trying to psychologically think that he's further ahead,

it looks more complete but actually it's not.

With Karl looking like he's ahead of the game for the first time,

Tibby loses his cool.

-Is there anything you're worried about, Tibby?

-Obviously time is a problem.

He has no time for small talk.

I suppose it's quite hard, though, when you're used to being Mr Perfect.

Well, yeah. Yeah.

The only thing on Tibby's mind right now is getting the job done.

Chaps, you've got half an hour left. Half an hour to go.

With the clock ticking,

the judges are worried the boys aren't going to finish.

Is there anything you think that you've got to get in the next sort of 20 minutes, 25 minutes?

I think, get the cooker in there.

-What about sinks and...

-Hobs.

Struggling for time a bit, really.

You're having to graft, aren't you, to get this done in three hours?

Oh, yeah. Concentrating on the quality as well.

Whilst Tibby is focusing on quality, Karl is all about the quantity.

He's doing bits all over the place, he's putting an oven in

and doing a worktop, looking at draws and that sort of thing,

whereas Tibby is on the worktops, he's going to stay on the worktops till he's finished the worktops.

With minutes left,

the carpenters frantically try to finish their dream kitchens.

One minute left now, guys. One minute left.

At the last second, Karl finds a use for his corner post.

Just not the right one.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

That's it, gentlemen. Carpenters, tools down, please. Well done.

Give them a big round of applause, guys.

With the final challenge now complete,

the judges want a closer look at their handiwork.

Karl got the hob, oven and sink in,

but didn't finish his cupboards and drawers, leaving the job half done.

Tibby managed to fit the cupboards, drawers, doors and oven,

but no hob or sink.

The brief was to build a fully functioning kitchen

and perfectionist Tibby is about to find out

he missed a vital piece of the jigsaw.

Tibby, one thing we noticed pretty early on

is that you needed that corner post to push all these units up this way.

Your drawers are going to hit your handles.

You actually used it as a straight edge when you were cutting

the worktop, you had it in your hand, you were that close to it.

Just rushing, you make mistakes.

Well, that's a costly mistake.

-The bad news is that you didn't fit that corner post, Tibby.

-Yeah.

The good news is... that neither did Karl.

Karl is gutted that he also failed to spot the post.

As you flagged up, I did make the same mistake as Tibby with the corner post.

-You found a use for it, though.

-Yeah.

No, it should have gone there, so I'm kicking myself about that.

But it isn't a complete washout for Karl.

One thing that Tibby didn't manage to do was sinks and hobs.

One massive thing you've managed to do on your worktop is get a hob in.

A lot of work, in that time.

-Considering your face when we told you you had three hours, you've done quite well, mate.

-Thank you.

I'm a bit surprised you missed that corner piece.

-I just didn't think of it, really.

-You can practise at home.

-Yeah.

There's a few mistakes I made.

But obviously, with the pressure and the time limit,

I've done the best I can really.

I really did give it my best shot there.

I'm feeling quite pleased. Quite relieved that it's over!

Well, we came into this knowing that they had a massive uphill task

to get a kitchen finished in three hours.

The mistakes that we saw out there, you know,

under that amount of pressure, I kind of feel for them a little bit. I'm going to give them that.

Both Karl and Tibby have performed really well.

They've both got a great attitude, they go about their work

in a way that would please me, but one has still shone through for me.

One of these guys has that finesse

-which I think takes him a step above the rest.

-Yeah.

-I think we've got a decision, yeah.

-Good stuff.

OK, it's time to crown our winner. Our judges have made their decision.

Let's bring back our two finalists.

You've both impressed our judges along the way

but only one of you will be going home Young Carpenter Of The Year.

Tibby, you've got a passion for carpentry that has shone through

right from the very start.

I think you'd be a pleasure to work alongside.

Karl, you're an out-and-out grafter with a huge talent and

I think your work's going to bring a lot of people great satisfaction.

OK, guys, it's crunch time. This is it.

The first ever Young Carpenter Of The Year is...

..Tibby. APPLAUSE

Mate, well done. Well done.

Gobsmacked. To win this is just unbelievable.

I can't believe it. I'm Young Carpenter Of The Year. Yeah.

So, it's been an incredible competition, and congratulations to Tibby,

the winner of Young Carpenter Of The Year. Good night.

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