Disabled people make up Channel 4's entire presenting team at Beijing Paralympics

Channel 4 has exclusive broadcast rights in the UK for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games (4-13 March) and it has announced that 100 per cent of its presenting team in China have disabilities.

It is a global first for a broadcaster to have an entire disabled presenting and punditry team for a world-class sporting event.

Channel 4’s director of Programmes Ian Katz said: “Channel 4 is incredibly proud to announce a stellar presenting team and - in a first for any broadcaster around the world - an entire presenting team who are disabled.

“This is testament to the brilliant disabled presenting talent we have in the UK and underlines our commitment to providing opportunities for people with disabilities and making our output truly representative of the entire population.

“We are looking forward to once again bringing a global audience to the Paralympic Games and are proud of what we have achieved since London 2012, shifting perceptions of disabled people and bringing world-class sporting drama to our viewers through our significant investment in coverage and award-winning marketing campaigns.”

Ade Adepitan competed as a professional wheelchair basketball player before pursuing a career in television. Last year, Ade won the Broadcast Sport award for his Tokyo 2020 highlights show ‘Today in Tokyo’.

In Beijing, Mr Adepitan will host the daily highlights show with quadriplegic ex-professional rugby player Ed Jackson. After an accident in a swimming pool, Ed Jackson was left paralysed with doctors warning him that he'd never walk again. But he relearned how to walk.

ParalympicsGB champion triathlete Lauren Steadman, who won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and silver at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, will host the Breakfast Show. She has competed in four Games, in both swimming and para triathlon.

ParalympicsGB champion swimmer Ellie Robinson will join the on-screen presenting team led by Ade Adepitan, Arthur Williams, Billy Monger and Sean Rose.

Former sitskier Sean Rose is a three-time world champion water skier.

Double amputee British racing car driver Billy Monger raced in British F4 in 2016 and 2017.

Arthur Williams will lead overnight sports coverage. The Tokyo 2020 presenter is a former Royal Marine who was badly injured in a car accident and now uses a wheelchair.

'Wonderfully ordinary persons with disabilities' in front of camera

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “When I heard that all of Channel 4’s presenting team at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games will be persons with disabilities I was stunned, but not surprised because they are a world-leading organisation in disability inclusion.

“The IPC has been working on the Paralympic Games with Channel 4 since 2012 and at every Games they have improved the broadcast landscape on Para sports. “They are exactly what public sector broadcasting is all about, having the bravery to say: ‘we will be the first to do that’.”

With over 15 per cent of people in Great Britain with a disability, he said “they should be able to switch on a TV and see wonderfully ordinary persons with disabilities like them in front of the camera.”

Last summer Channel 4 attracted 20 million viewers (a third of the UK population) to its 2020 Tokyo Paralympics coverage.

The UK broadcaster will bring over 80 hours and present the Games live from Beijing on Channel 4, plus streaming on C4’s YouTube platform. Channel 4 will carry live subtitles and the highlights shows will repeat on More 4 with Audio Description. The majority of content on the Channel 4’s YouTube channel will have subtitles.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey said, “This all-star disabled presenting team is world-leading and it is a momentous milestone for the UK, displaying pleasing progress on disability representation in broadcasting.

“Coverage of Paralympic Games is always an inspiring reminder that we should be judged by what we can do, rather than what we cannot.”