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 ...
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 ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
02/03/2026
NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...
02/03/2026
The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...
02/03/2026
The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...
02/03/2026
Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...
02/03/2026
Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...
02/03/2026
Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...
02/03/2026
SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...
02/03/2026
NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night
Media releases
A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport
Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm
...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...
02/03/2026
Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...
02/03/2026
Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...
02/03/2026
ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...
02/03/2026
To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...
02/03/2026
Douglas Dubler
On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...
02/03/2026
ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...
02/03/2026
Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
02/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay
Entertainment
02 March 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Dis...
28/02/2026
With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...
28/02/2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
28/02/2026
AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...
28/02/2026
Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...
28/02/2026
Back to All News
Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...
28/02/2026
New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...
27/02/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...
27/02/2026
The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...
27/02/2026
ESPN and the Horizon League announce a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement, continuing a 38-year collaboration that began with the 1988 Midwes...
27/02/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas, NETGEAR will highlight its new switch models and major updates to its Engage Controller software. The company's network d...
27/02/2026
Riedel Communications announces that Fondazione Teatro alla Scala has deployed a...
27/02/2026
Lyuno specializes in media localization, including translation, dubbing, subtitling, and voice-over services for a wide array of entertainment content. The comp...
27/02/2026
Chyron Weather 2.3, the latest edition of Chyron's weather visualization suite for broadcasters and meteorologists, recently launched.
The release includes...
27/02/2026
Telestream, which concentrates in media workflow technologies, announces expanded practical AI enhancements across its Vantage, Vantage Cloud, EDC, Stanza, and ...
A new portrait of Blackadder was revealed at one of Englands greatest mansion houses 
