Extraordinary Portraits - Season 5

Extraordinary Portraits - Season 5

Season 5

Extraordinary Portraits sees musician, comedian and art-lover Bill Bailey matching ordinary people who have extraordinary backstories with some of the country's most talented portrait artists, shining a light on modern Britain.

This year's sitters have been chosen by Bill for their exceptionally inspiring stories: from the civil servant who fought off a terrorist using a narwhal tusk to the sisters who made medical history when one gave birth from the other's womb; the grandmother still competing in Iron Man competitions in her 80s; a survivor of the Post Office scandal who was imprisoned while she was pregnant, and the young brothers with early-onset frontotemporal dementia choosing to live to the fullest.

Making up Bill's family of artists are award-winning painters Caroline Pool and Karen Turner; sculptor Nick Elphick, multi-media artist Jack Dickson, newcomer Unza Saleem and celebrity artist Ricky Wilson, who taught art at Leeds College of Art and Design. Their task is not only to recreate their sitters' likeness but to dig deeper to capture the emotional depth and significance of their stories.

Network
Episodes6
DatesMar 27, 2026 - Mar 27, 2026
Previous Season

Episodes

I Tackled a Terrorist with a Narwhal Tusk
Season 5Episode 129 min

I Tackled a Terrorist with a Narwhal Tusk

Honouring the man who used a narwhal tusk to tackle the London Bridge terrorist. Can sculptor Nick capture the essence of the hero?

Mar 27, 2026
Iron Gran: I'm in My 80s and Doing Triathlons
Season 5Episode 229 min

Iron Gran: I'm in My 80s and Doing Triathlons

The UK's oldest female Ironman triathlete is immortalised in paint, but should artist Caroline Pool capture Eddie's fun-loving energy or the quiet steeliness beneath the surface?

Mar 27, 2026
Living with 200 Wild Animals
Season 5Episode 328 min

Living with 200 Wild Animals

Bill Bailey matches wildlife sanctuary owner Lindsay with celebrity artist and animal lover Ricky Wilson. But Ricky faces an artistic dilemma.

Mar 27, 2026
Two Brothers Face Early Dementia
Season 5Episode 428 min

Two Brothers Face Early Dementia

Jordan and Cian watched their mum lose her life to a rare form of dementia, for which they also carry the gene. Just as painter Unza starts the painting, she has her own family emergency.

Mar 27, 2026
Pregnant and Jailed in Post Office Scandal
Season 5Episode 528 min

Pregnant and Jailed in Post Office Scandal

A sub-postmistress who campaigns for justice after being wrongly jailed in the Post Office Horizon scandal tells her remarkable story.

Mar 27, 2026
Sister Donates Her Womb
Season 5Episode 628 min

Sister Donates Her Womb

Two sisters share an extraordinary bond as one donates her womb to the other to enable her to give birth, making British medical history.

Mar 27, 2026

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