Paul Mescal sits for Portrait Artist of the Year

Paul Mescal will be returning to our screens – only this time, fans will be able to see him in a brand new light.

The 24-year-old, who rose to fame during lockdown as Connell in BBC Three’s hit Normal People, will feature as a subject for Portrait Artist of the Year.

The Sky Arts show, now in its 12th series, sees a number of professional and amateur artists go head to head to produce a portrait of one of three famous sitters.

After a number of rounds, where contestants are whittled down by the judges' critique, the winner receives a commission to paint a celebrity and £10,000 in cash.

This year sees a total of 24 actors, musicians, writers and TV personalities pose for portraits.

As well as Mescal, actor James Nesbitt, broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald, First Dates star Fred Sirieix, TV presenters Melanie Sykes and Katie Piper will pose for portraits.

The semi-final this year will see the hopefuls go on to paint Bernardine Evaristo, the Booker Prize-winning author whose recent work includes the hugely popular Girl, Woman, Other.

The winner will have the opportunity to paint the director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta, with the portrait to be exhibited at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Previous winners have gone on to paint Graham Norton, Kim Cattrall, Tom Jones and Nile Rogers.

Programme-makers said the series, hosted by Stephen Mangan, was recorded with strict safety protocols at Battersea Arts Centre in London.

The new series begins on Sky Arts on Wednesday October 14.

Additional reporting from PA

Read more

Paul Mescal quizzes the stars of Young Offenders in hilarious video

Paul Mescal channels his inner rock star for Rolling Stones video

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones explain Normal People pressure