Viewers have slammed M&S: Dress the Nation with claims that it's a 'rip off' of BBC's The Great British Sewing Bee.

The new ITV show, which aired on televisions across the UK on Tuesday evening, follows 10 amateur clothes designers as they compete to win a dream job as a fashion designer at high street giant M&S.

Hosted by AJ Odudu and Vernon Kay, contestants have six weeks to showcase their skills and complete different challenges to win the impressive prize.

Meanwhile, in BBC's Sewing Bee, amateur sewers compete to impress judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young and win the title of Britain's best amateur sewer, as well as a trophy.

Viewers have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to note the parallels between the two shows, with one saying: 'M&S: Dress the Nation is basically sewing bee'.

In the ITV show, participants must impress experts and real, everyday M&S shoppers to be in with a chance of securing the title of fashion designer at the British brand.

In last night's episode, ten amateur designers made a series of creations for 'Womenswear Week', with English singer and television personality Mel B, 49, judging the designs.

But fans claimed that the show is notably like BBC's Sewing Bee, which aired its tenth season in May.

Regular individuals who enjoy sewing in their day-to-day life came together from up and down the country to take part in the BBC competition earlier this year.

They each stepped into the Sunny Bank Mills, a famous 19th-century woollen mill located in Farsley, West Yorkshire, to display their talent.

However, last night, viewers claimed that ITV had taken inspiration for their new show from Sewing Bee.

One viewer took to X, formerly Twitter, and said: 'M&S Dress The Nation is basically Sewing Bee yes?'

Another added: 'M&S Dress the Nation, a poor copy (counterfeit) of BBC's Sewing Bee.'

A third wrote: So #DressTheNation seems to be Sewing Bee with added celebs and plugs for M&S.

A fourth said: 'Wait, so, is this just sewing bee but with a proper prize? #DressTheNation'.

Another said: '#DressTheNation is a Sewing Bee rip off without the heart of Bee but too many presenters.' 

It comes after The Great British Sewing Bee's Patrick Grant hit back at fast fashion and the 'machine' which leaves customer feeling the constant pressure to buy new clothes.

The TV judge and tailor, 52, appeared on Lorraine earlier this year and spoke to guest host Joel Dommett, 30, saying the BBC show had helped encouraged viewers to make their own outfits at home. 

Patrick said: 'Not that long ago, when I was born, almost everything we wore would have been made locally'. 

'Making of clothes and making our textiles employed over a million-and-a-half people in this country. And since that time, we've kind of outsourced all that production to the far side of the world'.

Patrick said he believed that clothes made now by fast fashion companies are created with poorer fabrics and of poorer quality. 

Speaking about his book Less he said: 'It's about how we've got to this point where we are compelled to buy new stuff all the time,'.

'Everywhere we look, even on TV, people are wearing new clothes all the time' before picking Joel up on ITV's own wardrobe department.

Patrick continued: 'Why do we have to wear new stuff all the time? There's this machine that's making us feel anxious and just stepping back and saying "You know what the things that make me happy is a cup of tea and a sit in the sun"'.

Before adding: 'We know that stuff makes us happy but we are conditioned into buying new things'.