Claudia Winkleman fronts Bayeux Tapestry trailer as new tickets announced

Claudia Winkleman stars in a new trailer for the Bayeux Tapestry (Trustees of the British Museum/PA)
Claudia Winkleman stars in a new trailer for the Bayeux Tapestry (Trustees of the British Museum/PA)
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TV presenter Claudia Winkleman stars as an employee of the British Museum in a trailer for an exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry, as a new wave of tickets for the landmark event are announced.

The 70-metre-long (229ft) tapestry, which is made of linen with embroidered images of the Norman Conquest, arrived at the museum from France in July, marking its first return to the country since it was created around 960 years ago.

It will be on display at the British Museum from September until July next year, with around 7.5 million expected to visit while it is on show in London, and tickets currently sold out until December.

Winkleman leads the trailer announcing that additional tickets to visit the Bayeux Tapestry are going on sale (Trustees of the British Museum/PA)

In an action-packed trailer with broadcaster Winkleman at the helm, the British Museum announced that additional tickets will go on sale in October for visits between January and March next year.

The Traitors host Winkleman, who is a trustee of the museum, said: “It was an honour to be part of this excellent film.

“We’re so excited about the Bayeux Tapestry coming to the British Museum and for everyone to see the exhibit.”

The award-winning presenter features in the trailer as a new security employee who is faced with the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings as the tapestry is brought to life.

The trailer recreates the Battle of Hastings (Trustees of the British Museum/PA)

The short film, produced in collaboration with Spacebar, features more than 30 historical re-enactors from across the country as it combines live action and visual effects to tell a tale inspired by the tapestry.

Winkleman is seen rushing around the British Museum, moving through its popular galleries and exhibitions while passing some of its recognisable objects as she tries to restore order and control the soldiers.

The video ends with Winkleman fleeing the scene as the two armies meet face-to-face in the great court of the museum for a dramatic confrontation.

“Get closer to the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum,” text on screen reads.

Claudia Winkleman is seen rushing around the British Museum and moving through its popular collections and exhibitions in the trailer (Trustees of the British Museum/PA)

The tapestry has been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux in Normandy since 1983 and will return there when the museum reopens after renovation.

It will be displayed at the British Museum in Room 30, the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, marking its return to the UK for the first time in almost a millennium.

When general admission tickets went on sale last month, the museum recorded the single biggest day of ticket sales in its history, generating more than £2.4 million in sales in the first 24 hours.

The next wave of public tickets for The Bayeux Tapestry will go on sale on October 21 at 10am, and further tickets covering the final months of the exhibition will be released at a later date.

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