
A new portrait of Blackadder was revealed at one of Englands greatest mansion houses
Tourists were left bemused - mistaking the comedy character for Shakespeare, British aristocracy and even Henry VIII
Tony Robinson, who played Baldrick in the TV show, unveiled the new painting at English Heritages Audley End House - a historic Jacobean mansion in Essex
Renowned artist Tom Croft painted the portrait over 60 hours, using traditional Elizabethan methods
The stunt was cunningly orchestrated by TV channel Gold, which is marking the 40th anniversary of the TV series with brand new, never before seen documentaries about the making of Blackadder, including Blackadder: The Lost Pilot
Almost three quarters (71%) say that Blackadder is the funniest UK sitcom of all time
A new portrait of Edmund Blackadder was secretly installed overnight at Audley End House to mark the 40th anniversary of the beloved TV series.
Visitors were left scratching their heads as they stumbled across the oil painting hanging in the Great Hall of the historic Jacobean mansion in Essex, mistaking the portrait of Blackadder for Shakespeare, Sir Walter-Raleigh and even Henry VIII.
The stunt was orchestrated by TV channel Gold, which is marking the 40th anniversary of the TV series with a month long celebration of the much-loved series. The celebration includes two brand new documentaries Blackadder: A Cunning Story and Blackadder: The Lost Pilot - which includes the first TV outing for the original Blackadder pilot.
The painting, created by renowned artist Tom Croft, shows the much-loved Rowan Atkinson character in his Elizabethan attire, painted in a classical oil on canvas style and completed with an ornate gold frame.
Tom painted the portrait across 60 hours, after rewatching series two of Blackadder repeatedly for reference.
Reactions to the painting were captured in a new video featuring comedy legend Tony Robinson, who famously played Baldrick, Blackadders servant and sidekick, and who cunningly helped sneak the portrait into Audley End House.
Paying homage to Blackadder, the nations best quick-witted character, Tony Robinson said:
What an honour to have been asked to unveil this incredible painting - and what a cunning plan to have it installed by Gold in such an extraordinary location to celebrate 40 years of Blackadder. Tom Croft did an amazing job at capturing Edmunds witty expression, and I know Baldrick would be thrilled to see his hero hanging at Audley End House.
Peter Moore, English Heritages Curator of Collections and Interiors at Audley End House, said:
At English Heritage we care for a remarkable collection of paintings, and the walls of Audley End House are hung with masterpieces by the likes of Hans Holbein and Sir Anthony Van Dyck. We also have an extensive collection of royal portraits, including Elizabeth I herself, so it seems only fitting that her court nobleman Edmund Blackadder should be displayed alongside her. After all, hes been TV royalty in his own right for the past 40 years!
New research by the channel finds that almost three quarters (71%) of Brits agree that Blackadder is the funniest UK sitcom of all time. Baldrick has also been voted the nations second favourite character with 62% of Brits in agreement, only after Blackadder himself at 81%.
The poll of 2,000 Brits by Gold reveals the nations love of Blackadder, finding that almost nine in 10 Brits (89%) still find the show just as funny and enjoyable watching it now, 40 years after it aired.
According to those surveyed, Blackadder taunting Samuel Johnson with his vocabulary is the funniest Blackadder moment ever - taking 41% of the vote. The scene sees Johnson, played by the late Robbie Coltrane, marvelling in his completion of the first ever dictionary, only for Edmund to offer him his enthusiastic contrafibularities.
69% of Brits agree that Blackadder is the most iconic show from the 80s, and all these years later over two fifths (46%) of those polled still say they quote Blackadder lines on a regular basis.
Gerald Casey, Gold channel director, said:
40 years on since the show began, the nation still loves Blackadder just as much. From Edmunds wit to Baldricks cunning plans, we knew we wanted to celebrate the iconic show in a way that celebrated its humour and history. This portrait is an incredible tribute to a much-loved character, and were so thankful to have had Tony Robinson help us to unveil it. Were excited for comedy fans across the UK to celebrate this momentous anniversary with us on Gold and enjoy the brand-new documentaries that show Blackadder as youve never seen it before!
Over half of Brits (56%) also admitted to being likely to binge watch the classic series. Catch all episodes of Blackadder from the start on Gold from today, ahead of the 40th anniversary on 15th June. Plus, see new documentaries Blackadder: The Lost Pilot on June 15th at 9pm and Blackadder: A Cunning Story on June 16th at 9pm, only on Gold.
-ENDS-
For more information contact:
Alex Butler 07584 163875 alex.butler@taylorherring.com
Naomi Penn 07961420769 naomi.penn@taylorherring.com
at Taylor Herring PR
Notes to editors
The Blackadder likeness was created by renowned artist Tom Croft, who previously gained media attention for his Portraits for NHS Heroes initiative during the pandemic.
English Heritages Audley End House and Gardens in Essex is an impressive 17th-century Jacobean mansion, rich in history and boasting an impressive collection of fine art. Audley End was once the site of Walden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that was dissolved and granted to the Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas Audley in 1538 by Henry VIII.
English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
30/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/04/2026
A flexible monitoring platform designed to simplify ST 2110 operations, consolidate vendor tools, and support modern live production environments. See it at NAB...
30/04/2026
Sundance-premiering Run Amok is an expressive, unconventional take on today's teen experience, replete with musical numbers. When cinematographer Shachar ...
30/04/2026
JACKSONVILLE, AL, APRIL 29, 2026 Jacksonville State University, known as Jax State and a proud NCAA Division I member of Conference USA, has transformed its a...
30/04/2026
Transforming viewer and content data into real-time intelligence to deliver relevant streaming experiences at scale
ThinkAnalytics, the global leader in AI-pow...
30/04/2026
Sports Production, Delivery is Big Biz at NAB
Andy Marken April 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image source: NAB
One of the neat things about trade shows i...
30/04/2026
Scripps Research ranks third in 2026 Cure Innovation Index
April 29, 2026
LA JOLLA, CA Scripps Research ranked third in the inaugural 2026 Cure Innovation In...
29/04/2026
It was a delicate job in a 150-year-old venue laden with traditions. Begun at th...
29/04/2026
In annual event, the league gives startup companies the opportunity to prove the...
29/04/2026
Panel discussions, networking, and a facility tour will take place in the renova...
29/04/2026
(L-R) Derek Drescher, Coss Marte, and Syretta Wright have each other's backs. (Micheal Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Veronika Lee Cla...
29/04/2026
Combines EQ and harmonic distortion
Techivation's latest release is a simple EQ designed to offer quick control over a source's overall tonal balanc...
29/04/2026
Two new MPE controllers announced
Expressive E caused quite a stir when they released the Osmose, making the sort of expression that was once reserved for p...
29/04/2026
New modules & enhanced machine-learning
The latest version of iZotope's flagship restoration suite is now available, and now offers over 50 tools design...
29/04/2026
Surgeon Dr Jasmina Kevric wins 2026 Les Murray Award
29 April, 2026
Media releases
Australia for UNHCR and SBS are proud to announce that Dr Jasmina Kevric...
29/04/2026
Some people stumble into their passion. Julissa Padilla walked straight into a film vault. For her, entertainment was never just about the movies themselves. It...
29/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/04/2026
Clear-Com has appointed Brian Grahn as Market Outreach Manager of the Americas and Ben Turnwell as Business Development Manager for EMEA live, expanding their ...
29/04/2026
nxtedition is bringing its range of consolidated production tools to MPTS 2026, with new developments spanning transcription, editing, graphics and AI-assisted ...
29/04/2026
Quortex Switch to boost the streaming experience for Telxius customers, reaching millions of viewers worldwide
Synamedia and Telxius, the leading global connec...
29/04/2026
freispace, the leading ERP-as-a-Service platform for media and entertainment production, and Projective, a leading provider of post-production collaboration tec...
29/04/2026
DHD reports strong interest in its broadcast audio product range, exhibited at the April 19th-22nd NAB Show in Las Vegas. The event attracted a claimed 58,000 a...
29/04/2026
Student Spotlight: Alan Catz The Argentine film and game composer talks about working on League of Legends, receiving Berklee's BMI Award, and the lifelon...
29/04/2026
Jay Jennings Builds the Worlds You Hear on Screen The supervising sound designer behind A Minecraft Movie, The Meg, Letters from Iwo Jima, and dozens of other...
29/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/04/2026
Voting opens at 4pm today
RT 's Today show have announced the eight finalists for their TV Home Cook competition. Amateur cooks from Cork, Dublin, Galway ...
29/04/2026
29 Apr 2026
VEON and Kyivstar Fulfill Commitment to Invest USD 1 Billion in Ukr...
29/04/2026
Rhod Gilbert, Harriet Kemsley, Kae Kurd, Sara Pascoe and Vicki Pattison to take part in brand new series on free streaming service U
London, 29th April 2026: F...
29/04/2026
Wednesday 29 April 2026
Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, a Sky Original documentar...
29/04/2026
Re-examining the case of Ellie Williams and the wider story of grooming in the town of BarrowWednesday 29 April 2026
Sky announces upcoming documentary series ...
29/04/2026
Wednesday 29 April 2026
Jennifer Garner to lead an all-star cast in new Sky Exc...
29/04/2026
Back to All News
SUPERNOVA: GENESIS Reached a Peak Audience of More Than 6.5 Mi...
29/04/2026
Students and staff from Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge ran a 4.5km course around the roads of Cambridge as part of their annual programme of sustain...
29/04/2026
The Dawn Chorus airs Sunday 3 May from midnight to 7am on RT Radio 1 and RT ly...
29/04/2026
Jin-Quan Yu elected to the National Academy of Sciences Yu is recognized for his pioneering work in synthetic organic chemistry.
April 28, 2026
LA JOLLA, CA S...
28/04/2026
The audio team for the entertainment event must blend speech intelligibility with full-range music reproduction while considering the broadcast
Last week's...