Stephen Mangan hopes Portrait Artist of the Year continues ‘until they wheel me out on a hospital bed’ as show grows in popularity

Stephen Mangan is hoping that Portrait Artist Of The Year on Sky Arts will continue until he’s physically unable to host it anymore.

The presenter has fronted the competition show, which seeks out a talented creative to win a celebrity commission, since it began airing in 2013 and he’s recently finished filming on its eighth season.

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk at the launch of Art of London’s Augmented Gallery, Stephen revealed his desire to remain at the helm… until his death.

‘I’m hoping it will go on until they wheel me out on a hospital bed,’ he enthused. ‘I hope it goes on and on and on. The standard of art has just got better and better and I think more people are watching it and more artists are applying.

‘Fingers crossed we get to do it for many years. The number of people watching it has just gone up and up and up and people have really enjoyed it during the pandemic because it’s a warm show celebrating talented people.

‘It’s a comfort watch, I think.’

Stephen also revealed that the show wasn’t impacted by the pandemic and that the semi-finals were filmed last week.

‘It’s a show that is really fine because we have sitters and the artists are three meters away from them anyway,’ he said. ‘It’s a show we can do in a pandemic. It’s not like it’s about wrestling. As long as I keep my distance when I’m interviewing.’

There will be a slight change from previous years though, as there won’t be any audience.

‘We can’t have the audience in which is a shame because it’s become more and more popular,’ Stephen added.

The Art of London Augmented Gallery is a unique collaboration between the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts and Sky Arts.

Each has contributed a diverse selection of classic and contemporary masterpieces to this innovative and safe way to enjoy some of the world’s greatest art in the open air, as the country and cultural institutions tentatively prepare to reopen.

‘It’s been a while in the making,’ Stephen said. ‘You just download an app which takes a few seconds, point it at this thing at the wall and suddenly a great masterpiece appears in front of you.

‘You can get commentary on it and you can look at this piece of work in front of you as if you’re in the galleries.’

Portrait Artist Of The Year airs on Sky Arts.

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