Carrickfergus soprano Emma Morwood, who is currently starring in the latest series of the BBC hit The Great British Sewing Bee, paid a surprise visit to Mullan's Fashions in Portstewart while enjoying time on the north coast

It is not every day that a contestant from The Great British Sewing Bee walks into your shop.

But that's exactly what happened this week when Emma Morwood, the Carrickfergus-born soprano currently competing in the BBC One sewing competition, paid a surprise visit to Mullan's Fashions in Portstewart.

The family-run retailer, which specialises in ladies' fashion as well as babywear, wool, haberdashery and knitting supplies, welcomed Emma and her family during their visit to the north coast.

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Owner Gerardette Mullan shared her surprise on social media yesterday, posting: "We were delighted today to have the amazing sewer Emma and family, who's currently appearing on The Great British Sewing Bee, visit us as she visited Portstewart.

"Wearing one of her own handmade jumpsuits (as worn on last night's episode three), she has been doing brilliantly and we wish her all the best as the competition progresses."

Emma, who now lives in Scotland with her husband Robin and their two children, Lucas and Orla, has quickly become one of the standout contestants in this year's competition. She won the opening episode of the new series and has continued to impress judges with her creativity and technical ability.

The social media post prompted hundreds of reactions from viewers across Northern Ireland, many praising Emma's performances and backing her to go all the way in the competition.

One commenter described her as "a great ambassador for Northern Ireland" with "a lovely personality, very talented and good craic", while another said she was "an amazing ambassador for NI... so funny, talented and brimming with ideas."

Others predicted she could reach the final, with comments including: "I hope she wins," "Emma is doing so well... she should go far with her talent," and "She's fabulous on the show. I always love to see what she makes."

Many also praised the colourful jumpsuit she wore during her visit, with one viewer commenting: "That's a very appropriate jumpsuit for Portstewart!"

Emma will be back on screens on Tuesday evening when the fourth episode of The Great British Sewing Bee airs on BBC One, with viewers hoping her impressive start to the series continues.