Winners' Stories Young Talent of the Year

For the past five weeks,

Britain's best young and hardworking talent

have been fighting it out to prove they're the very best in their field.

The competition's on. Game on.

We've seen 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.

Everyone who makes it this far has one thing in common -

they think they have what it takes to be crowned the winner.

I don't say I'm the best because I'm good. I say it because I AM the best.

I think I should've won.

I don't think I should have been in the final three. I should at least have been in the final two.

I feel like I've let myself down, and I've let a lot of...

people down, as well.

But tonight we're taking a look back across the past three series...

I've never felt so under pressure and stressed in my entire life.

..meeting our winners on their own turf,

seeing how life has changed.

From there, it just kind of went... You know, shows, demos, photoshoots.

I've gone on to do my own pop-up restaurant

over in Sydney and Melbourne.

Actually, they are very good. I'm not joking - they are!

We'll also get to spend a bit more time with the lovely George Lamb,

with some sneaky behind-the-scenes access...

Right. Let's go to work, eh?

..finding out what he gets up to when he thinks the cameras aren't rolling!

Going to George in three, two, one.

For the past three years, BBC Three has scoured every corner of the UK,

unearthing the most talented unsung heroes of our nation.

They are the dedicated young workforce,

who learn hard and work hard, day after day.

In 2010, our experts searched the four corners of the country,

hunting out the nation's hottest 18-to-25-year-old hairdressers.

Cut after cut saw thousands fail to make the grade -

but four shone out as the cream of the crop

and they were invited to studio for the final showdown.

Judging their every move were two of the industry's biggest players...

Rock 'n' roll hairdresser to the A list Adee Phelan...

..and two-time British hairdresser of the year, and industry legend, Beverly C.

We had some incredible entries,

but I know that we made it quite difficult for them, because we gave them some real tough challenges.

From the outset, there was a tense atmosphere in studio,

only broken by the judges' first demands - for a '40s-inspired vintage style.

I'm looking at the models and I thought,

"They all look great," but there was one who had the longest,

thickest hair you've ever seen.

Of course, she walks over to me and she's my model,

and I nearly passed out. I thought, "I literally cannot do this."

-How are we doing, Becky?

-Er, OK.

-Er...OK?

How we doing, Jake? Are you happy with the way it's looking?

-Er...not right at this minute, to be honest.

-OK.

-Bricking it.

Unlike Jake, the girls were playing it cool and storming ahead.

He would've been better off, the last half hour, doing nothing.

Round two gave Jake the chance to cut his losses and sock it to the girls.

One of you will be going home after this round, so now is the time to give it your all.

We basically said to them, to create an advertising campaign.

But above all, this is about creating a look that sells the product.

I was expecting some really amazing,

beautiful hair that depicted what this product was.

They all thought, "Oh, God, this is easy -

"we'll just do a, sort of, undercut, a bit of a quiff, and we're away."

-You don't seem very happy about this.

-They look like a bunch of boy bands. It's bad, it's poor.

It's disappointing.

They all had the chance to raise their game

and create a gravity-defying do that would sell a new hair product in the pages of upmarket glossies.

Let's have a look at our image.

If you put them all in one row,

you'd think one of you did all four haircuts.

It's an ad campaign - it's got to be new, innovative. Remember the brief.

I was really disappointed with the second round.

And actually, no-one scored points with me for that.

The judges had seen enough.

All four finalists had let them down.

One simply had to face the chop.

Jake.

OK, good luck, guys.

At this level, one mistake is bad - but two is unforgivable.

With Jake gone, it was time to face the grilling -

the interview from hell.

-Which person created the Wedge haircut?

-Trevor Sorbie.

When bleaching hair from dark to blond,

how many stages are there in the bleaching process?

-Er.

-Focus!

-Three.

-Are you serious?

-Yes.

And I thought, "Oh, no, this is as far as it goes for me."

What is the most important part of the consultation?

Er, getting to know what your client wants, what the... What...

Just spit it out in a few words - what is it?

Hair texture, lifestyle...

Listen to your client.

-How did that go?

-Overall, I think it went OK.

-It was, like, FBI-style.

It was time for another finalist to find out they weren't good enough.

The next hairdresser leaving the competition is...

..Lisa.

I think I should've won.

I don't think I should've been in the final three. I should've at least been in the final two.

But she wasn't...

..meaning Serafina and Becky would face the final round,

and were about to be forced way outside their comfort zones.

-BEVERLY:

-The final round was probably the most exciting, because we gave them creative control.

And what I loved about it - we came up with the idea beforehand -

was to separate them so they couldn't see each other's work.

Your time starts now.

With so much at stake,

both hairdressers risked it all, attempting very ambitious styles.

It wasn't until I had my scissors in my hand that I thought,

you know, "This is not going to look good if I cock this up."

Technically, it's very, very difficult making a hairpiece.

It's meticulously difficult to do, but that's a risk.

Two hours goes like that.

-Do we like the look?

-This is going to look great.

I just hope that she hasn't been too calm.

-Does it worry you that they are so calm?

-I'd be freaked out now, personally.

Serafina, Adee's worried about you, babe.

I want you to really...

-HE GRUNTS

-..get this baby done.

-Push it on.

NOW I feel pressure.

Five minutes left, girls, and it is neck and neck.

With minutes to go, the contest saw a sudden shift in power.

This is amazing, cos, I mean, Serafina's hair has gone from here

to there.

Five minutes ago, I was like, "Becky." Now I'm like,

"Serafina, Becky, Serafina, Becky." This is going to be...

Whoever, at the last minute, puts that last little touch will nick this.

Five, four,

three, two, one.

Tools down, please, ladies. That's it.

90 minutes... two jaw-dropping styles...

..but only one could win.

Would it be Becky's structured avant-garde cool...

..or Serafina's edgy rock-chick glamour?

It's time to get the verdict, and only one of you can win the title.

And the Young Hairdresser of the Year is...

Becky.

Thank you so much.

-BEVERLY:

-It was clear she was going to go through, because she was consistent.

And she... She just outshone everybody.

When he said my name, I pretty much nearly passed out. My legs went to jelly.

I thought, "Oh, no!" Either that or I thought someone was going to jump out and be like,

"Only joking! Not really! It's not you, it's the other one."

It just feels like all of my hard work's paid off.

You know, it was all worth it.

Since winning Young Hairdresser of the Year, life's been crazy.

It's been great. Everyone's been so supportive, so excited.

Before the show, Becky's fan club

was made up of friends and family only. 18 months on,

and that membership has got much wider.

It's nice seeing your picture in the local magazine.

Your friends see it, and your clients and your colleagues, too.

-This is the first article I did, this one.

-Yeah, I remember that one.

There's a couple that I got to do, where I've given... They call it "expert advice" - it's really cool.

You feel quite special, that they value your opinion.

Becoming an agony aunt for hair questions wasn't a natural job

for someone who fared so dismally in the grilling challenge.

-Er...

-Focus!

-Three.

-Are you serious?

But that's exactly what's happened.

Hi, Becky. How are you?

We had heard through the grapevine that a local hairdresser had won

Young Hairdresser of the Year.

And since then,

she has been a regular contributor on the programme.

Becky, I've got a quick-fire question for you now.

True or false - if you pull out a grey hair, do seven grow back?

-Hmm, that's a bit of an old wives' tale.

-Is that true?

No, all it is is, if you break the hair, it grows back thicker.

Right, guys, so I'm going to be doing an avant-garde style today.

With Kristen's hair...

As creative stylist across two salons,

Becky's now showing other aspiring hairdressers how it's done.

What I've done is worked this hairpiece, just moulded to Kristen's head.

And it's at the Knightsbridge studio

that judge and guru Beverly C is paying her a visit.

Once you've kind of nailed your foundation skills in hairdressing,

you can start being a bit more adventurous.

Playing with different...balances, really, within the hair.

Cool, calm Becky!

She's done so well this year.

I can't wait to catch up with her and see what she's been up to.

It has gone so fast, Beverly, honestly.

I can't believe that it was this time last year we were doing the show.

And from there, it just kind of went - you know, shows, demos, photoshoots.

You know, lots of in-house seminars and things.

Things I wouldn't have had the confidence before to get involved in.

So the education side - you're teaching the young, up-and-coming people?

Yeah, a lot. We get lots of students from overseas and around the UK.

They come in just for inspiration.

-Brilliant! That's really good.

-Thank you. It's all cos of the show.

It's an industry that employs 200,000 people,

and they're not known for their shyness.

Not content with winning one award,

Becky wants to prove she's a cut above the rest AGAIN.

Liljana's haircut is a really clean one-length bob,

with a really nice red tone. To follow the Egyptian theme,

I've used gold-leaf trim just to give it that couture edge.

This time, she competed before thousands of the best

at British hairdressing's biggest annual event.

Becky gained a coveted place within the elite team

of young hairdressing professionals.

The FAME team have produced

some of the top, top hairdressers in this country that are now global stars.

I really wish you all the luck.

-I'm watching you.

-Thanks, Beverly.

-No pressure?

-No pressure!

The Young Talent studio is well used to seeing the finest food being prepared.

And back in series two,

it was the turn of the young fishmongers to sharpen their knives.

Our experts trawled the UK, netting four outstanding filleters.

They would go to studio to face the toughest challenge of their lives.

Putting them through their paces were two legends of the trade -

fishmonger to the rich and famous Rex Goldsmith...

..and the biggest online fish merchant in the country, Paul Trudgian.

This competition is going to be brutal

and more demanding than any day you've experienced at work.

Round one was all about knife skills...

..pitting the boys against five of the UK's finest, and most fearsome, fish.

On a scale of one to ten, how nervous are you?

-12.5.

-OK.

-Who do you think the frontrunner is?

-Er...I would say maybe Sam.

He's done a few competitions before.

I don't say I'm the best because I'm good.

I say it because I AM the best.

But the real threat lay in the form of Essex boy,

Danny Blackshaw.

So far, the only filleter worth his salt is Danny.

At the opening stage, Danny, his filleting, his knife work, his block work was immaculate.

He then set the standards for everyone else to follow.

Step back from your displays now, chaps. Thank you.

You've got one more chance to show the judges that you can do it.

After this, one of you will be eliminated.

Round 2 was to separate the men from the boys.

They had to select and prepare... and then kill.

The French call it fruits de mer. We call it a seafood platter.

Timing is crucial in this round.

But also, we're going to be tasting this,

so they need to be thinking about flavours.

From my point of view, Matt and Andy are looking the strongest,

but there's a lot that could go wrong.

-Where's the dressed crab?

-In the bin. I wasn't confident it was cooked enough,

and I ain't going to give you something that'll make you ill.

Three, two and one, guys.

Stop, please.

As you know, boys, I'm afraid one of you has to go after this round.

It seems like an absolute epic time to be waiting for one decision from two people,

which could possibly go on to change my future in the trade,

so it was anyone's game at that point.

The first fishmonger leaving us...

is...

Matt.

With filleting that failed to impress,

and an error as basic as boiling crab,

Matt's lost his chance,

leaving three to face the fish grilling.

Can you give me three species of cephalopod?

That would be cuttlefish, squid and octopus.

In centimetres, what's the minimum legal landing size requirement

for sea bass in the UK?

Size-wise, it's 300-400g,

which, I suppose, is about 15cm, maybe.

A fish like that would be illegal, Danny.

What toxin is produced in an oily fish?

God. I know what that is. I can't right pronounce it. Histamine...

Danny, I mean, he crumbled. He went to pieces in there.

-How did that go?

-It went terrible.

One of the trio just wasn't up to it.

Danny.

Andy and Sam remained to battle it out head to head.

To be down to the top two in what you do in the country is a great achievement.

But the competition is up there. You wanted to be first and it went from just being a competition

to being happy being in the top four to you wanted to win. You had to be number one, then.

To be the best, a fishmonger needs to have creativity,

product knowledge and innovation.

From the market stall to the high streets, survival depends on profit,

and to be crowned the winner, this final challenge

will test every aspect of your fishmonger skills.

Remember, this one is for the title. Your time starts now.

The boys needed to create the best shop display of their lives.

With 90 minutes on the clock, Sam was gave nothing away.

Sam seemed to have a clearer vision of his overall concept of what he was going to do

right from the start. I think he may have just taken a little step back and thought about it all.

But Andy slammed fish after fish on the counter,

and as his display grew, so did his confidence.

Confident about that halibut, Andy?

Where once there was ONE cocky, assured finalist,

now there were two.

Don't watch me, boys.

Gentlemen, you've got one hour to go. One hour left. You're halfway through.

As Sam finally showed his hand, a masterful display took shape.

Would his considered approach be a winning tactic?

It's looking, to me, like Sam has a little more pizzazz.

I think it's very close.

I think they're very different characters.

Five minutes left. A chance for the judges to visit the fridge,

and a shock lay in store.

What's still left in here, then?

-Halibut.

-Still valuable fish left in here.

60-quid fish, 70-quid fish.

Perhaps we'll do something with it when we go on the pricing.

It ended in a furiously paced race to the finish.

Time's up, gentlemen. Well done.

Nicely displayed fish, here. You've thought about your colours very nicely.

-Any examples where you can point to, in terms of adding value to your profit?

-The fish pie pieces.

That's something a lot of fishmongers throw away. It might only be a kilo or two at a time,

-but it's profit you wouldn't have had.

-You've done a wonderful design,

with the conger taking up a lot of space, but that costs 50p a kilo.

You've got £9-, £10-a-kilo fish out there, still.

Yeah. No, I can fully appreciate that.

That actual display I'm very happy with.

It was decision time.

Sam's modern visual flair

versus Andy's more traditional profit-focused festival of fish.

That was it. We've done what we could. We just had to leave it at the end to the judges.

They had to decide what they thought was the best.

And the Young Fishmonger of the Year...

is...

..Andy!

-Well done.

-Thank you.

When they called my name, it was absolutely brilliant.

I can't wait to tell my family, my uncle. I really look forward to telling my uncle.

He's trained me up over the last 10, 12 years,

shown me what I know, so it'll be really good for him

to let him know that his little protege has pulled through.

It's over a year since Andy returned victorious to his uncle's stall,

where, as a fledgling fishmonger, he learned his trade.

The following day, the market was absolutely astronomical.

The whole market was cheering him. All the customers had seen it.

It was brilliant.

And the local news, the local papers, the magazines...

We had several people coming down, asking for interviews

and having photos taken.

He seems to have attracted a good lot of young ladies since he's won.

Really(?)

But he's not JUST a Warrington poster boy.

We had an immediate upturn in business. Because of the recession,

we could have had a downturn, but we've had an upturn.

Thank you very much.

12 month on, as we are now, business must be up by a good 25-30!%

Do you want three of that making up?

With only 1,000 independent fishmongers left,

his success seems to have bucked the trend.

Coping with success brings its own challenges but, of course,

when you're Young Fishmonger of the Year,

you're well connected to get the best advice.

Andy's in Chelsea, visiting the Codfather.

-Hello.

-Rex! Are you all right?

-This is my little shop.

-It's nice.

-Different to yours, I know.

A little bit different.

-Let's have a proper chat. I'll take this off and we'll have a cup of tea.

-Sounds good.

-Fantastic.

-Very importantly, how's business?

-Trade's brilliant, yeah.

Business has been up since, by a good percentage there,

and it's still going. We were also approached by the Cheshire Show.

Both me and my uncle were up there. We did a big demonstration there. It was just over an hour.

In front of quite a lot of people, several hundred people.

The Cheshire Show's a very big deal, so yeah.

That, again, brought a few more faces in from round the Warrington area that still didn't come

-or didn't realise that we were there.

-Or that would've used a supermarket before.

-That's it.

People who chose convenience over quality. So, all in all, it's been very, very successful. Yeah.

It's been a very big deal.

Have you and your uncle thought about possibly expanding the business?

-Another retail outlet somewhere?

-Yeah, there's been thoughts of that.

Where we are, we bring a good custom in from quite a vast area.

They come and approach us at the moment,

so we've got to look to a point... We don't want to open a shop

-and just divide our custom.

-No.

-We want to look at a shop

-in an area where we'd get a new customer completely.

-Exactly.

The shop has to be in the right location, with a good footfall of people and a good product

and you can have the right shop, fantastic place,

but if you're paying extortionate rent and rates,

you'll find you can have a busy shop, taking thousands of pounds,

but you're working for the landlord, just to pay the rent.

Before, you were just sort of working on a stall.

You didn't know whether you were going to go anywhere or do anything. When I won,

it makes you look at what you do in a different light,

and to stand there, knowing that you are the best in the UK,

for your age, it does give you a real good boost,

and your attitude towards your job changes,

and you look at your future more in the job,

and how it's going to be and what outcomes will come to me.

Young talent HQ is the place where our exceptional competitors go to battle.

Young Fireman of the Year this year I think could be me.

Hopefully, the proof's in the pudding.

I've got the talent and the skill.

I know what I can do. I want to prove that I can do it.

I'm ready for the challenge now. The best man will win.

It was here, at RAF Bentwaters,

that young men and women became heroes during World War II...

..and it's here, in the Hush House hangar,

amongst nuclear bunkers and weapons stores,

that our new young heroes of their trade are crowned.

So, we're in Suffolk, and it's pretty bonkers,

because you feel like you're on some kind of weird film set, and this is where the magic happened, guys.

This is where the magic happened.

Here, 60 young grafters have shown what they're made of.

-This is the studio. Yes! That's how we meet every day.

-Every day.

Curtis is one of our producers.

He will walk around with a clipboard at any time, day or night.

The real hard work starts when the cameras roll.

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

We start with the best bakers in Britain.

Three out of four contestants walk away with nothing but their pride...

The first baker to leave the competition is...

Katy.

You're trying to not pay attention

but you can't help but notice things that are going on around you,

and it's so hard.

Aw. You did really well. Well done.

I've met some fantastic people. It's been a fantastic experience.

'It's been amazing.'

You're a winner, man, you're a winner anyway.

It's been a good experience.

Coming back to reality is a bit of a...

But for those exceptional few, the Young Talent trophy is waiting.

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

Tibby.

I don't know what to say, I'm gobsmacked. Wow.

It's been worth it, this year, I'm so glad I've done this!

Can we go for a cup of tea?

Don't record that!

Back in 2009, five rising superstar chefs focused on joining

the ranks of young talent winners.

Judging their every move were two gastronomic giants, Tom Aitkens,

the youngest Brit ever to run a two-Michelin starred restaurant.

And Silvena Rowe, Eastern European super chef and author.

For our first challenge you are going to be going back to basics.

Start breaking some eggs.

The proof of the pudding for round one was in the timing.

Four different egg dishes,

perfectly cooked to be served at the same time.

Do you think it's tough, Larry?

No, it's not tough, it's simple.

Larry's confidence was not felt by

fellow Michelin restaurant trained Argentinian, Alejandro Cansino.

The cracks soon started to show.

How are you feeling?

-Not very confident to be honest.

-Really?

-Let's see what happens.

-OK.

Time up.

But would Alejandro's up front honesty count for him, or against,

when it came to serving up.

-Talk me through what went wrong, mate.

-Everything.

Everything went wrong.

Souffle is just like baby food.

This egg is...

Totally underdone.

Had anyone managed to impress the judges?

Pressure's on.

-Oh, it look good.

-Perfect.

Very good, well done.

Looks good, Dougie.

-I'm digging in.

-Let's have a quick look at the souffle.

Three of the chefs had good reason to feel worried

heading into round two.

After this second challenge, two of our chefs will be eliminated.

It's time to test their tasting talents.

And they had to do it blindfolded.

From Tom's signature red mullet dish they had to pinpoint fennel,

basil and lemongrass.

Then from taste and memory alone they would cook it themselves.

This time no one chef stood out.

-It's just so delicious.

-Very nice.

Which left the judges divided on who they wanted to eliminate and

the scarily ambitious young chefs showing a surprisingly united front.

The flavours, I think, were all evenly matched.

I wouldn't say I was better because to be honest I missed two flavours.

I didn't get the basil but I got the oil. I thought it was in the puree.

I didn't get either.

Right, guys, we don't want to do this,

but there can only be one winner.

Two of you are about to be going home.

Larry...

I'm afraid you're going to be leaving us.

The next person that's going to be leaving is Alejandro.

Still with egg on their face from the first round,

their fates were sealed.

Three now faced the quick-fire grilling round.

The grilling round was very difficult.

You have two people that are at you in your ears, asking you questions.

There are two blues foods known to use, what are they?

I would have to say maybe one is a type of flour,

but I couldn't really name you one.

Name me six varieties of potato.

Being asked to name six kinds of potato

was definitely the lowest point for me.

Baking potato, er...

I'm not going to accept baking potato.

-Oh, er, new potato.

-No, not going to accept that.

When you've got Tom Aitkens scowling at you,

you get one thing wrong and your brain just stops working.

My mind's gone so blank.

When does the grouse season begin?

-The glorious 12th, 12th August.

-Thank you.

Salim had got tantalisingly close to the all-decisive final round.

An impressive display, but it wasn't good enough.

And left a bitter taste.

I'm just gutted. Just...

I just really wanted to cook my menu, that's all.

It's OK.

The final showdown -

Matt versus Dougie in a one-on-one, five-course culinary confrontation.

This is your last chance to impress our judges.

Your time starts now.

The chefs pulled out their big-gun signature dishes.

I'm making a lemon sorbet,

which will be the best lemon sorbet you'll ever eat.

You can quote me on that.

I'm doing a dessert. I'm using liquid nitrogen,

and you'll have the smoothest sorbet you'll ever have.

Both assaulted the judges' senses with dish after dish of perfection.

-How's it tasting?

-Mm.

-Is it good?

-Mm-mm.

-Yeah?

-Exceptional.

The desserts are a hit, chaps.

But as the smoke settled on this gastronomic battlefield...

..there could only be one winner.

The Young Chef Of The Year...

..is...

Dougie!

Well done, congratulations.

Just a fantastic, amazing, amazing feeling right now.

It's like...the greatest buzz in the world, it's fantastic.

Two years on from wining his crown and Dougie is in Lincolnshire,

meeting up with his own food hero, award-winning chef Colin McGurran.

-How's things?

-Good.

It was here five years ago

where Dougie discovered his passion for cooking and organic produce.

I first met Dougie when he came to see me when he was 19

and he wanted to work with us.

I knew from very early

he would be somebody who would do very well in the industry.

He would be the first one in the kitchen, the last one to leave.

He would work for free if we could let him.

He was desperate to get into the kitchen.

For you, I look at the leek, you look at the roots. Typical.

Think outside the box.

'When I was watching Dougie on the competition I was nervous for him'

because I was thinking somebody who's very ambitious

and very futuristic in his cooking being asked to do

very classical things like souffles and things like that,

and I was thinking, "My God - has he ever done a souffle before?"

But of course he has.

-You do have some bavette which we've braised.

-Yes.

And we're going to do it with onions.

The whole onion, including the tops, the roots, everything.

I've never eaten an onion top before.

Onion top? Hmm. Rather you than me.

Actually, they are very good.

I had the feeling he would do very well and to see it actually happen!

And you wonder if someone who's 19 or 20, after two years they might

burn out and decide that they've not seen their friends in a while

and slow their career down.

But I think now he's accelerating in pace

and becoming more determined about what he wants to do.

I feel definitely a sense of pride seeing him doing well.

-Cheers, boss.

-Excellent, well done.

With restaurants using every possible method of marketing

to customers, and 43,000 young chefs vying for recognition,

a new way of getting noticed has burst on to the scene.

Welcome to the House Next Door. I hope you enjoy tonight. Cheers.

APPLAUSE

Pop ups like Dougie's are a flash mob style of dining experience.

They can appear anywhere and are only found by those in the know.

Like Young Talent judge

and Michelin-starred master chef, Tom Aitkens.

So tell me what you've been up to. It's been a couple of years.

Yes. I decided to go travelling. I worked in Copenhagen

and spent some time in the restaurants over there.

Then I decided to go to Australia.

I've gone on to do my own pop-up restaurant in Sydney and Melbourne.

-Oh wow.

-Yeah.

-Tell me about that.

-Well, it was called Wasted.

It originally started out as a little dinner party.

But then so many people were into the idea

that it turned into a three-night stint in the centre of Sydney.

It really took off, loads of people really interested in the concept.

Next thing I know it had quite a big following.

The menu is largely driven by sustainability.

With the anchovy spines, I'm using the Pope's eye, I'm using nettles,

loads of foraging.

It's a philosophy that is well known to Tom,

who has a surprising admission to make

about his own rise to culinary superstardom.

Do you have a five-year plan of what you want to do?

Yes, in five years I would like to see myself in your shoes,

in my own restaurant in London.

My only advice on that is to wait until you're at least 30.

If I had that opportunity again,

I think I would definitely just carry on working

and going into different places, environments, working conditions,

and get as much experience and knowledge as you can.

So it's back to work for the young rising star.

It's been really enjoyable so far.

I'm ready for the Pope's eye.

With Tom's words of wisdom ringing in his ears...

I'm off to Russia tomorrow morning,

working in Moscow in a restaurant over there.

For a bit of experience, as you do!

And then, yes, continue working around the world.

ALL: To Dougie!

The search for Britain's best has come to an end for its third series.

Trades that rarely see the spotlight

have been given a chance to compete and shine.

And as we head back into studio it's the young farmers' turn.

Some terrible joke about luscious looking lambs.

That's enough about me though!

Our challenge team are frantically preparing to hit them

with the contest's biggest ever trials.

-This is Ellie, how are you?

-I'm good, thank you.

-How are your little piggies today?

-They are good. They look great

if not a bit smelly. They're a bit nervous.

-How do you know when a pig's nervous?

-Well, you can see it.

-Really?

Yes, on their behind.

PIG SQUEALS That's a bit lively.

Today we're anxious because one of our farmers

is petrified of pigs. It could go one of two ways - tears or...

Do you think we could have a walk out? Imagine if we had a walk out on Young Farmer Of The Year,

-our first ever walker in three years, guys.

-It could happen.

She's our feisty farmer so she needs to...

Needs to live up to that moniker.

I've seen it done millions of times before but I just can't do it.

Not as easy as it looks.

And when the heat gets too much for Robin, it's time to head outside.

Put it this way, you're still Female Young Farmer Of The Year!

To be fair, that's more of an accolade!

The challenge team are left to clear up.

TV's really glamorous.

But it never stops.

Down on the farm.

In the first ever off-site final,

the outside broadcast team are just starting work.

It's no mean feat working on this beefed-up scale.

I've been a farmer all my life and, er,

I wouldn't want to do what they're trying to do today at all.

The two most gifted young farmers need a final

befitting their talent, so everyone's mucking in.

Apart from maybe one.

This is Fudge.

I mean, I don't think I've ever seen such a sweet puppy.

I'm in love with Fudge, I think.

If he'd have spoke to me like that on my farm,

I'd have sent him straight out that gate.

I like to rock the Hunters, you know what I'm saying?

Final challenge, and we're all ready and pumped on the farm.

This'll sort the men from the boys.

You've come this far. Don't worry about it, mate.

Both of you should be proud of yourselves. Go there and enjoy it.

All right, guys, you've got two hours

to turn this field into a functioning farm.

This one is for the title. Good luck, your time starts now.

Farming made its debut this year,

but for plumbers, theirs was back in 2010,

when more young professionals took the plunge and applied

than we'd ever seen.

Four talented pipe workers beat off the opposition

to take their spot in the final.

But if they thought they were in for an easy ride, they were wrong.

These two dons of the trade were both their judge and jury.

£50 million plumbing impresario Charlie Mullins...

..and all round hands-on industry ace Chris Young.

Round one meant firing up the blow torches in pursuit of plumbing perfection.

It was about precision cutting, bending and soldering.

Any slips would mean scorching errors and grumpy judges.

Boys outnumber the girls by nearly 200 to one in this industry,

which meant that it was inevitable

that Aimee would get some unwanted attention.

Aimee's very confident with her work. I think she's got the knowledge,

but I don't think she's got the skill.

Simon thinks you've got the knowledge but not the skills, Aimee.

-Is that what he said?

-Yeah. Fighting talk, really, isn't it?

-It is a bit, isn't it?

There's already a bitter rivalry between Simon and Aimee.

I think we've got a competition on our hands.

Simon - soldering just terrible.

Aimee - there was a few scorch marks on her board.

Two minutes left, guys, you've got two minutes to go.

I can see two people not finishing.

Tools down please, plumbers, tools down.

Charlie, Aimee, put your tools down, please.

If you had to send one of them home now, who would it be?

It would be Aimee.

Simon.

Simon and Aimee had spent too much time bantering

and not enough time soldering.

Dean and Charlie were looking like clear favourites

heading into round two.

I am a better plumber than Aimee.

I would really like to beat Simon, just to prove him wrong,

because I don't like people putting me down.

Plumbers, behind those doors...

..you've each got an identical bathroom

with an identical set of nightmare faults.

This could get messy. You've got 60 minutes, starting now.

Faulty taps, blocked toilets and dodgy shower fittings

were set to stump the finalists.

Oh, my God!

This one here, Chris, is really like a needle in a haystack, isn't it?

because they're all hidden problems and it's a nightmare for any plumber.

But at least one finalist didn't share the judges' concerns.

These are very simple installation faults.

Half way through, and nothing separated the young, elite plumbers.

It looked like they would be eliminated

on their round one performance - bad news for Aimee and Simon.

But the mischievous judges had planted an extra little surprise.

I just found a ring!

'There was the ring in the trap,'

which I found, which I don't think

any of the others found.

-Did you check the pipe out?

-Yeah, I've taken all the trap out, run it, nothing else in there.

All of the plumbers went on to find and fix the other three faults.

That's all except one.

The shower isn't working correctly, there's still a fault in the hot.

I didn't have enough time to get it stripped down to find out what was wrong.

It left no doubt in the minds of the judges.

The first plumber to leave the competition...

is Simon.

With four down to three,

the survivors now faced the grilling -

the worst exam they could ever face - and no-one likes exams.

I watched Dean go in...

-What's the minimum recommended seal size for a bath trap?

-75 mil?

-..then Charlie go in...

-What is the purpose of a vent pipe?

'..I'm getting more and more wound up'

stood there watching them.

Come on, this should be straightforward.

To allow for expansion and open to the atmosphere.

And they both came out all flustered and nervous,

so obviously I was very nervous going into it,

and I think the first question I stumbled on.

Which type of valve should you install above a main internal stop valve?

'And even if you're sat there thinking'

about something for, like, ten seconds,

'they're in your ear all the time.'

Picture those installation guidelines...

I know, I'm just trying to think of it, I can't...

A non-return valve.

Pay attention. Elementary level one plumbing, OK?

It was neck and neck,

but one of these exceptional plumbers had to go.

The next plumber going home is...

..Dean.

Good work, guys, you are the best two young plumbers in the country.

So, for this final deciding challenge, we're taking you

out of your comfort zones and we're going to be getting very creative.

Open the doors, please.

We want you to create a magnificent visual spectacle - a fountain.

They were given a pump, a pool, a whole load of pipes

and 90 minutes to create something special.

Oh, and some rather fetching waterproof trousers - nice.

Is that all the power you've got, Charlie?

Yeah, not a great deal, is it?

Piling on pressure was forcing mistakes from both finalists.

Would either complete the challenge?

How far behind Charlie do you think you are, Aimee?

Just dropping everything in the water now...

I'll be happy when I've got it done, to be honest.

When I first switched it on I hadn't finished soldering

all the open ends into it,

so everyone thought I had absolutely ruined it.

-Are you happy with the outcome?

-Not with the top ones...

-I didn't see any water come out...

-No, the pump's not great.

-Bearing in mind the pump's the same as Charlie's...

-I know, but...

-You've tried to put too much up top, haven't you?

-We're going to sort that out in a minute, hang fire.

'I've never felt'

so under pressure and stressed in my entire life.

It was a horrible feeling.

If there's no water coming out, then Charlie's got it hands down, really.

That's time, guys, well done.

Aimee and Charlie, it's now the moment of truth.

Let's see if you delivered on the brief.

Fire up those fountains.

It had gone down to the wire, but they'd done it -

two spectacular displays.

But boys will be boys, and Charlie's need

to make his fountain bigger than Aimee's had backfired -

his pipes were spraying all over the place

and his pool was slowly emptying.

This is it.

One of you is about to be crowned the young plumber of the year 2010.

The young plumber of the year is...

..Aimee.

-Well done, darling.

-Well done, thank you. Well done, Charlie.

Thank you. Lovely to meet you, thank you.

'I was just overwhelmed to hear'

my name read out, I was so proud.

I knew my family would be very proud as well.

Now 12 months on, our champion plumber is coming back to the place

where it all began to fill me in on what life is like

when you've been crowned the best young talent in your industry.

-So, how you doing, Aimee? Nice to see you.

-Not bad, I'm all right, thank you.

I believe life's been pretty hectic since you were last in this studio.

Yeah, I got a new job. I know work for a massive company all over Europe,

so I cover Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Oxford and Swindon

and go round visiting plumbers and specifiers all day, so it's nice.

You've got your VR65s and 61s, your control modules...

'I think plumbers appreciate it more that I've come from the trade'

and know what I'm talking about.

Did winning this competition help getting that job?

I approached my boss before, when I was a plumber,

and they turned me away cos I had no sales experience,

and they called me up after the show, so it's nice...

-They watched the show and called you?

-I think they'd seen it.

-Been a bit of a game changer.

-Yeah, definitely.

The U-bend challenge, when you went through the bathroom to find the faults,

you were the only one who found the ring in the U-bend,

and I believe you found another ring subsequently?

Yes, my partner proposed to me at the end of July,

which was nice, got me a lovely ring.

-So you're getting married?

-Next year, hopefully.

-He's lovely, I'm really happy with him.

-Great.

-Are you proud of me?

-I'm very proud. Very proud.

This is the main plumbing and heating magazine in the industry,

and they did a big double page article about what happened,

which was nice.

Work, my old company, did an article as well,

and then the local newspapers, as well, did a couple of things,

which was nice, so...

So that's all I ever see now - pictures of Aimee in the paper.

Don't be silly!

So, winning the title of Best Young Plumber

may have helped Aimee gain a new job, industry-wide recognition,

and get her bloke to put a ring on it,

but what it's definitely done is cement the utter admiration

of the other man in her life.

Watching Aimee on the television was absolutely fantastic.

Especially the bathroom task - when she found the ring it was just great.

It's not every day that your daughter's on television

and wins a competition like that.

It was one of the happiest days of my old life,

and I've been the proudest father you can ever be.

Ahhh.

MUSIC: "Glad You Came" by The Wanted

# The sun goes down

# The stars come out

# And all that counts

# Is here and now

# My universe

# Will never be the same

# I'm glad you came... #

So, that's the end of another triumphant year for young talent.

We've found five more worthy winners from Britain's toughest trades,

and if our previous champions are anything to go by,

then this series' winners have exciting times ahead.

Goodbye.

-How does it feel to be Young Gardener Of The Year?

-Pretty impressive, I'm made up.

-You're the Young Farmer Of The Year.

-It means a lot, thank you.

Oh, my God, I feel amazing!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd