The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games is set to kick off next month and Channel 4 are leading the headlines with their team of presenters.
The broadcaster, who has exclusive rights within the UK for the event has stated that it’s a “global first” when it goes ahead hosting more than 80 hours of the games from a team made up entirely of disabled presenters.
All-Star Disabled Presenting Team
Ade Adepitan is already a familiar face when it comes to British TV and wheelchair basketball – he’ll be fronting up the daily highlights show. Former professional rugby player and quadriplegic, Ed Jackson and Paralympian triathlete Lauren Steadman will club together for the breakfast show. Steadman took home a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and made it to the semi-final of Strictly Come Dancing.
The presenting team lineup will be backed up by the reporters who include double amputee racing driver, Billy Monger and Paralympic swimmer Ellie Robinson who won gold and bronze at Rio 2016, aged just 15. Sean Rose, Paralympic sit skier will be brought in as a pundit to give his expert analysis.
Lastly, Arthur Williams will lead Channel 4’s overnight sports coverage of Beijing 2022, he previously presented at Tokyo 2020. Arthur uses a wheelchair as a result of a severe car accident, he’s a former Royal Marine and Paralympic cyclist
Praise All-Round
Ian Katz, the director of programmes at Channel 4, 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 and for people with disabilities and making our output truly representative of the entire population.”
Andrew Parsons, the president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), hailed Channel 4 as “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.”
