Portrait Artist of the Year — Season 1
7 Episodes · Premiered November 5, 2013 · Ended February 25, 2014
Episodes
The winner of the first Portrait Artist of the Year competition visits Booker Prize-winning author Hilary Mantel in her home; the final portrait is revealed.
Joan Bakewell and Frank Skinner begin their search for the Portrait Artist of the Year in London, where artists are asked to paint stars such as actors Alison Steadman, Robert Lindsay and Juliet Stevenson.
Frank Skinner, Joan Bakewell and the judges head to Glasgow as 21 competitors capture celebrity sitters including Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner, actor John Hannah and Paralympian Michael Kerr.
Frank Skinner and Joan Bakewell take the competition to Dublin where 21 artists hope to wow judges with portraits of actors Pauline McLynn, David Rawle and rapper Lethal Bizzle.
The final tryout takes Joan Bakewell and Frank Skinner to Wales where artists paint rugby player Gavin Henson, artist Lucian Freud's muse Sue Tilley and war veteran Simon Weston.
The penultimate stage of the competition takes the four finalists to Paris where they have six hours to paint author and model Sophie Dahl.
The finalists unveil one last portrait before the judges enter tense discussions over the winner. The portrait artist of the year is awarded a commission to paint writer Hilary Mantel.