PICTURES of health

BILL BAILEY on celebrating NHS heroes as he takes the helm of Extraordinary Portraits

- IAN MACEWAN

EXTRAORDINARY PORTRAITS

NEW MON, 8.30PM (TIMES VARY), BBC1 FACTUAL

There is a change of personnel as BBC1’s popular art showcase Extraordinary Portraits returns for a third outing this week, with comedian Bill Bailey taking over presenting duties from previous host Tinie Tempah.

The new six-part run will mark the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service and sees Strictly Come Dancing 2020 champion Bill pair up leading British artists with some of the most inspirational NHS staff to create a collection of portraits that capture their work and personalities.

First up is trauma surgeon Martin Griffiths, who is to be rendered in clay by Welsh figurative sculptor Nick Elphick.

Here, in an exclusive interview, 58-year-old Bill gives TV Times a thumbnail sketch of what to expect in the new series…

How do the artists set about creating their portraits?