The Big Flower Fight: 'It sounds mad, it is mad'

Image source, Netflix

  • Author, Sinead Garvan
  • Role, Newsbeat entertainment reporter

We have a show about baking, a show about sewing and a show about pottery - so it was only a matter of time before flowers were thrown into the mix.

Enter The Big Flower Fight: the new Netflix show with all the elements of these wholesome competition shows but with a bit more edge.

If you are already losing interest because you think it's about florists and arranging the best roses, you are wrong.

You won't see anything created on this show in your local garden shop.

"It sounds mad, it is mad," explains Natasia Demetriou, who co-hosts the show with Vic Reeves.

Image source, Netflix

Image caption, For scale, hosts Natasia Demetriou and Vic Reeves in shot next to one of the giant floral sculptures

"You have to watch it, because it's sort of to do with gardening and it's definitely to do with flowers.

"But it's not really anything like any human has ever done before."

The series has contestants from all over the world, some are florists or landscape gardeners but there are also hairdressers and carpenters.

Each week they are tasked with creating huge floral structures - from eight-foot insects to couture gowns.

"If you are creative, can see some chicken wire, a bunch of grass and see how to make that into a dog, then you can probably be on the show," Tash laughs.

Image source, Netflix

Image caption, Natasia wearing one of her "inappropriate and impractical" dresses with judge Kristen Griffith-Vanderyacht

There are obvious comparisons to the Great British Bake Off but for Natasia that is no bad thing.

"Yeah, all these sorts of shows owe a lot to the Bake Off, it was the first of this type of format show with the competitive element," she says.

"It's very comforting television. It's lovely, mindful and peaceful. There is a competition element, but there's a lot of love."

But there are many differences besides swapping cake for flowers.

The contestants are from all over the world and it will be shown in every country that has Netflix, so it's not just a British show.

Image source, Netflix

Image caption, Flower aficionados from across the world try their hand at building giant structures

Also, they compete in pairs and that brings another sort of tension.

"Some of them were in romantic relationships, some of them were friends, some of them were family," she explains.

"Their relationships evolve and change over the weeks. There were definitely frustrations and I think that's a really interesting, juicy thing to observe."

Image source, Netflix

Image caption, Oh to be hugging someone (outside our household) next to a giant floral sculpture

The show is filmed in the most quintessentially British setting, the countryside in Kent, commonly referred to as the Garden of England.

"It really was breathtakingly beautiful," Tash says.

"Only a TV show would be able to find this little area of the world and do a show about gardening there, it was heavenly - beautiful."

And if all that doesn't sway you?

"There's a lot of very, very inappropriate and impractical dresses that I'm wearing, that you can look at," she adds.

The Big Flower Fight is on Netflix.

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