Disabled presenters majority for games coverage

More than 70% of the Channel 4 presenting team for the Paralympics will be disabled, the broadcaster has pledged, as it laid out its plans for more than 300 hours of coverage of the games from Tokyo, Leeds and London.

Presenters will include wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan, who will front the highlights show Today In Tokyo from Japan.

Also in the line up are disability advocate Sophie Morgan, former Royal Marine Commando and Strictly Come Dancing star JJ Chalmers and former professional rugby player Ed Jackson.

Lee McKenzie and Vick Hope will be reporting 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 present The Last Leg daily from London and will be joined by Rosie Jones reporting from Tokyo.

More 4 will be a dedicated team sports channel live from Tokyo, which will see matches featuring ParalympicsGB teams in wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball.

The Tokyo coverage, featuring pundits including Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Steve Brown, Liam Malone, Danny Crates and Liz Johnson, will have the largest number of disabled presenters ever seen on UK television, Channel 4 said.

It will also be showing 16 livestreams through its Paralympics microsite.

Ian Katz, director of programmes, said: “We’re finally able to get excited about bringing the long-awaited Tokyo 2020 Paralympics to UK viewers.”