More than 70% of Channel 4’s presenters for the Paralympics will have a disability, the broadcaster has announced.
Hosts for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games include wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan, who will front the highlights show Today In Tokyo from Japan, as well as disability advocate Sophie Morgan, former Royal Marine Commando and Strictly Come Dancing star JJ Chalmers, and former professional rugby player Ed Jackson.
Channel 4 made the announcement as it revealed its plans for more than 300 hours of coverage of the Games – which take place from 24 August to 6 September, delayed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic – from Tokyo, Leeds and London.
Former wheelchair racer Tanni Gray-Thompson is among the pundits for the event. Pic: Alexander Scheuber/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
Describing the steps as a “groundbreaking commitment” to representation on screen, Channel 4 said that since London 2012 it had established itself with a “world-class presenting team featuring disabled presenters”.
Featuring pundits including Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Steve Brown, Liam Malone, Danny Crates and Liz Johnson, its Tokyo coverage will feature the largest number of disabled presenters ever seen on UK television, the broadcaster said.
Lee McKenzie and Vick Hope will also report from Japan, while in the UK Clare Balding will present live sport finals from Leeds, and Arthur Williams and Steph McGovern will head a daily Paralympics Breakfast Show.
Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe will host The Last Leg daily from London, joined by Rosie Jones reporting from Tokyo.
During the event, the More 4 channel will become a dedicated team sports channel live from Tokyo, and a Paralympics microsite will also show 16 livestreams and more than 1,000 hours of coverage.
Channel 4’s director of programmes Ian Katz said: “Channel 4 has long played a fundamental role in bringing a global audience to the Paralympic Games and for shifting perceptions of disabled people through our significant investment in coverage and award-winning marketing campaigns for London 2012 and Rio 2016.
“Now we’re finally able to get excited about bringing the long-awaited Tokyo 2020 Paralympics to UK viewers with even more coverage than ever before across multiple platforms, from multiple locations and hosted by a stellar presenting team.
“We’re looking forward to bringing the best coverage possible to the British public so we can all get behind Paralympics GB and celebrate their success in Tokyo.”
Channel 4 and More 4 will also include live subtitles in coverage and the opening ceremony will have live signing. The majority of content on the Paralympics microsite will also have subtitles.