EXTRAORDINARY PORTRAITS RETURNS TO BBC ONE WITH BILL BAILEY

BBC Arts announces a new series of Extraordinary Portraits for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, presented by comedian, actor, musician and author Bill Bailey. The series will pay tribute to NHS heroes, marking the 75th Anniversary of the NHS with a series of specially commissioned and inspiring portraits.

This six-part series explores the art of portrait making, as Bill - a keen art lover - pairs up some of the most inspiring NHS staff with leading British artists. We discover the stories of compassionate doctors, inspiring nurses, dedicated porters, passionate paramedics and cleaners who go above and beyond to help the people they care for.

Their work, lives and personalities are captured for posterity in a new collection of compelling portraits.

Bill Bailey says: “It’s been a real privilege to be part of the new series of Extraordinary Portraits. Hearing the incredible stories of the staff who work in the NHS, and watching the brilliant range of featured artists at work has been a fantastic experience. I can’t wait for viewers to see ordinary, yet extraordinary individuals immortalised in portraiture, particularly on the 75th anniversary of the NHS.”

Suzy Klein, Head of BBC Arts, says: “Extraordinary Portraits has already established itself as a favourite with audiences, keen to see which modern British heroes are going to be immortalised in paint. Now, with Bill Bailey at the helm, we celebrate the inspiring people of the NHS who take us from cradle to grave, but whose inner lives we rarely see anything of...

"Capturing the spirit and soul of this outstanding group of people has been a privilege and we are so proud of the stunning artworks - sculptures, paintings and photography - that have come out of this series.”

Nav Raman, Executive Producer and Co-founder of Chatterbox Media, says: “Bill was a natural choice as host. He is someone who connects with the artists and subjects; not only is he an artist himself, but both his parents spent their lives working for the NHS. His empathy and warmth toward the NHS employees we're celebrating makes this a very exciting series - we are thrilled to be working with him.”

Extraordinary Portraits is a Chatterbox Media production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The Executive Producers are Nav Raman and Ali Quirk and it was commissioned by Emma Cahusac for BBC One and BBC Arts.