Graham Norton has joked that he is "embarrassed for Ireland" after discovering that the artist who won a commission to paint a portrait of him which will go on display in the National Gallery of Ireland is his third cousin.
Gareth Reid, who is originally from Belfast but now lives and works as an artist in Glasgow, won the £10,000 commission after beating 54 international hopefuls to be crowned Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017 in the TV show of the same name.
Reid said he could not "quite take in the chances" of the pair being related when they met to make a start on the project.
"Out of all the people who entered, getting the opportunity to paint Graham, out of all the people they could have chosen, and it turning out we're third cousins," he said.
"He is genuinely a lovely guy and he took Suzy (Reid's partner) and me out for dinner after the unveiling... I'm sure we'll keep in touch in some form."
Reid said his father knew of the connection but had not thought to mention it until after the competition's final, which was broadcast on Tuesday on Sky Arts.
"It was vague at that point," he admitted.
"Some cousins of his thought there was a connection through my granny's side, the Reynolds in Ballymena, which came to light after Graham featured in the Who Do You Think You Are? programme."
Research confirmed that Norton's great-grandfather was James Reynolds and Reid's great-grandmother was Christina Reynolds, from Ballymena. The two were brother and sister in a family of more than 10.
Reid won the commission after impressing judges of the series, presented by Frank Skinner and Joan Bakewell, with his portraits of actress Imelda Staunton and presenter Adrian Chiles.
Imelda Staunton from the semi-final of @SkyArts #portraitartistoftheyear pic.twitter.com/dN7j7DnMbI
— Gareth Reid (@TheReidArt) March 9, 2017
Gareth Reid is through to the Final of @SkyArts #PortraitArtistoftheYear 2017! Exclusive Interview: https://t.co/cRPfPV4aa8 @TheReidArt pic.twitter.com/OqITgyqFcH
— Cass Art (@CASSART) March 9, 2017
Speaking to RTÉ today Reid described Norton as "a great sitter". "
"There's a man who knows how to sit still, very amenable, takes direction very well," he continued.
"[He] left it entirely up to me as far as the look of it. We kind of arrived at a decision where it [the painting] was like an off-duty version of him, rather than the kind of TV persona, so that was the kind of feeling we wanted to put across."
Today members of the public have been seeing the portrait for the first time at the National Gallery of Ireland and have been full of praise for Reid's prize-winning work.
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Norton previously said of the prize: "The idea of my portrait being in the National Gallery of Ireland is a huge honour.
"For the winner, I imagine he or she will have mixed emotions", he joked.
"Thrilled by winning, but I'm sure that feeling will pass when they find out who their subject is.
"I apologise to the artist and the visitors to the gallery, but a combination of vanity and my mother's excitement meant I couldn't refuse."
