Trevor McDonald

Artists are getting their time in the spotlight with "Portrait Artist of the Year." An esteemed panel of judges travel across Europe in search of the brightest star in the art world. Each episode features a regional competition and contestants are challenged to produce a portrait of one of three famous sitters, the judges select who moves onto the semifinal. When three are remaining, the finalists will have their work displayed in the world-famous National Portrait Gallery in London and the winner will receive a $10,000 commission to become a permanent part of the British Library. Such famous sitters that are featured are Sir Ian McKellen, Sophie Turner, Sophie Dahl, Maisie Williams, Julian Fellowes, Alan Cumming, among so many more.

Tokenism, typecasting, lack of access to capital, proving yourself twice over, are just some of the problems our cast discuss. And that's all before the self censorship that prevents many from achieving their full potental.

Our cast talk mostly of their pride in being British and their love for the country as epitomised at the phenomenon of the 2012 London Olympics, where black athletes wrapped themselves in the Union Jack and decades of racism seemed to be on the path to being put firmly in the past.