Life Drawing Live! to air on BBC Two, BBC Four in September

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 2h

Life Drawing Live! will air on both BBC Two and BBC Four when it returns for a new two-hour special in September.

Life Drawing Live! will return for a new "bigger and bolder" two-hour special next month, the BBC has announced.

For the first time, the programme - a real-time life drawing class - will air simultaneously on both BBC Two and BBC Four in order to encourage amateur artists to take part from home.

The main show on BBC Two will be presented by Joe Lycett and will follow the progress of a group of artists taking part in the class in person, while BBC Four's coverage will be hosted by Josie d'Arby and offers a 'Pose Cam' - a fixed shot of each model's pose - to enable viewers to paint along at home.

"Life Drawing Live! has been an incredible catalyst for the nation's amateur artists on BBC Four - where tens of thousands of viewers have taken the time to upload their life drawings," said Mark Bell, commissioning editor at BBC Arts.

"Now we are taking it to the next level. For the first time, it will take over the schedules across two channels, giving viewers the option of watching from the sofa on BBC Two, or to go to BBC Four with paper in hand to participate in the class itself.

"We hope this unprecedented event will entertain and inspire, and hopefully give audiences the chance to up their skills with the charcoal."

The show first aired on BBC Four as two specials in early 2020.