Channel 4 to broadcast 100 hours of 2018 Paralympic Winter Games

2 March 2018

 

• Clare Balding anchors and is joined by double Paralympic gold medallist Jonnie Peacock
• Lee McKenzie, Ade Adepitan, Sophie Morgan and Arthur Williams return as presenters following award-winning coverage in Rio
• The Last Leg returns with three episodes during the Games
• Winter Paralympic  gold medallist Charlotte Evans and silver-medallist Jade Etherington join Channel 4 along with Paralympic Champions Kadeena Cox and Richard Whitehead
• Channel 4 to broadcast Paralympics coverage direct from PyeongChang  in South Korea and purpose built studio based at The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead
• More than 60% of on-screen presenting talent are disabled

Channel 4 will broadcast 100 hours of coverage from the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in South Korea.

Clare Balding will lead the presentation team from Channel 4’s UK specially purpose-built broadcast centre at The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead.

Clare Balding and Lee McKenzie will be joined throughout the Games by double Paralympic gold-winning superstar Jonnie Peacock who will be on hand to give his assessment on events in Korea . Ade Adepitan, Sophie Morgan and Arthur Williams will present all the action direct from PyeongChang.

Channel 4’s UK presentation team at The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead will be using the centre’s ski slope to demonstrate the classifications and the skill and athleticism required by Britain’s Paralympians to compete at the highest level.

Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdecombe return with three editions of The Last Leg during the Games. The first launches on the day of the Opening Ceremony, 9 March. And they will be providing their unique insights into the Games in The Last Leg Winter Paralympics Special on Sunday, 11 March, as well as broadcasting a show on Friday, 16 March, to round off their take on the Games.

Ed Havard, Channel 4’s Head of Entertainment, Events and Live, said: “Channel 4’s coverage of the Rio Paralympics in 2016 broke new ground and we’re delighted to be bringing that award-winning team back together for the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

“With Clare Balding leading the sports coverage alongside Jonnie Peacock, Ade Adepitan, Sophie Morgan, Arthur Williams and Lee Mckenzie – it promises to be an epic showcase of our Paralympic champions in South Korea. And with The Last Leg back at the heart of the Games, we’ll be celebrating the Paralympians extraordinary achievements as only Adam, Josh and Alex can.”

In all there will be about 100 hours of Paralympics Winter Games programming across Channel 4 and 4Seven including live coverage of the Opening Ceremony, highlights programmes, live through the night coverage of the action, three episodes of The Last Leg, audio described versions of highlights and coverage from the Closing Ceremony.

Clare, Jonnie and Lee will present Channel 4’s prime time evening highlights show, Winter Paralympics Today from its UK-based production base at The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead

Clare and the team will also guide viewers through the late night show, Winter Paralympics Highlights, at 11pm on weekdays which leads straight into Channel 4’s through the night live coverage of the Games – Winter Paralympics Live.

Paralympic ski guide gold medallist Charlotte Evans and Jade Etherington, winner of Sochi Paralympic silver and bronze medals in visually impaired skiing events, will be offering viewers unique insights into the challenges faced by the competitors in South Korea.

Charlotte Evans, who guided Kelly Gallagher to Super-G Gold in Sochi, and Jade Etherington, winner of three Silvers and a Bronze four years ago, will offer viewers unique insight into the challenges faced by visually impaired skiers in South Korea.

Channel 4 will also be joined by Team GB Winter Olympians and a range of Paralympic superstars such as Richard Whitehead and Kadeena Cox throughout the event.

Every morning Ade Adepitan, Sophie Morgan and Arthur Williams will bring all the best of the overnight action in the hour-long Winter Paralympics Breakfast direct from PyeongChang.

Skiing commentary will come from Rob Walker and former Winter Paralympian Sean Rose in PyeongChang, whilst Ed Leigh will commentate on the Snowboarding events and John Rawling & Michael McCreadie will lead viewers through the Wheelchair Curling. Rob Walker and Sean Rose will also provide commentary for the Winter Paralympics Opening Ceremony which begins live on Channel 4 at 10.55am on Friday, 9 March.

Continuing its drive to see more disabled on-screen talent, more than 60 per cent of Channel 4’s presentation team will be disabled.

Whisper Films is producing coverage of the Games Channel 4. Whisper’s Andy Stevenson is overseeing editorial content from PyeongChang, the most senior position held by a disabled person working on a Channel 4 Paralympics production team. Joining Andy will be Alastair Meachan and Ella Beaumont who both came through Channel 4’s Rio Production Training Scheme in 2016.

The Channel 4 team has been filming with British Paralympians as they prepare for the Winter Games including 19-year-old World Champion alpine skier Millie Knight and her guide Brett Wild, and Menna Fitzpatrick and guide Jennifer Kehoe as they prepared for the Winter Games. Specially recorded packages will also give viewers an insight into what a visually impaired skier experiences when racing at speeds of more than 100kph.

Former Ski Sunday Series Producer Chris Grubb and Creative Director Richard Gort will also be a key part of the production team in South Korea which has strong winter sport credentials.

All output will be subtitled and audio described versions of The Last Leg and the late-night Winter Paralympics Highlights programme, will be available on 4Seven. The Winter Paralympics Breakfast and Winter Paralympics Today programmes will be available on All 4.

Ends

More details and interview requests should be directed to Tim English Tenglish@Channel4.co.uk

Notes to Editors

Coverage at a glance, please note all times are UK and subject to change. AD = audio described repeat

Date	Programme	Time	Channel
Friday 9th March	Winter Paralympics Opening Ceremony Rob Walker presents the Opening Ceremony with Ade Adepitan and Sean Rose	10.55am -1pm	Channel 4
	The Last Leg	10-11pm	Channel 4
Saturday 10th March	Winter Paralympics Live The sporting action begins with live coverage of downhill skiing	12.30 – 3.30am	Channel 4
	The Last Leg AD (from 9th)	3-4am	4Seven
	Winter Paralympics Live ParalympicsGB’s wheelchair curlers begin their medal quest against World Campions Norway	5.30-8am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast Highlights from the downhill skiing, men’s biathlon and ParalympicsGB vs Norway wheelchair curling	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today Lee McKenzie and Jonnie Peacock from The Snow Centre Hemel Heampstead	6-7pm	Channel 4
Sunday 11th March	Winter Paralympics Live Kelly Gallagher look to repeat her Sochi Super G success, Scott Meenagh competes in the 15km  cross country and ParalympicsGB’s wheelchair curling team play Switzerland and Finland	12.30 -4am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today AD (from 10th)	2-3am	4Seven
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast Highlights from Day 2	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today	6-7pm	Channel 4
	The Last Leg Winter Paralympics Special	10-11pm	Channel 4
Monday 12th March	Winter Paralympics Live Britain’s  snow boarders’ first ever appearance at the Winter Paras and ParalympicsGB’s wheelchair curling team face Sweden	1.30-8am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today AD (from 11th)	2-3am	4Seven
	The Last Leg Winter Paralympics Special  AD (from 11th)	3-4am	4Seven
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast Highlights of ParalympicsGB’s snowboarding Winter Paras debut	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today Clare Balding, Jonnie Peacock and guests review day three of the Para Games	7.30-8pm	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Highlights Clare Balding and Jonnie Peacock with analysis of the Snowboard Cross event and GB’s wheelchair curling team vs Paralympic Champions Canada	11pm-12.20am	Channel 4
Tuesday 13th March	Winter Paralympics Live Super-combined alpine skiing, Great Britain’s wheelchair curlers vs Slovakia, and Para Ice Hockey with USA vs Korea	12.20-8am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today AD (from 12th)	2.30-3am	4Seven
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today Highlights from Day 4 including USA v Korea in the Para Ice Hockey	7.30-8pm	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Highlights Menna Fitzpatrick, Millie Knight and Kelly Gallagher in the Super combined skiing	11pm-12.20am	Channel 4
Wednesday 14th March	Winter Paralympics Live Britain’s James Whitley competes in the men’s slalom, ParalympicsGB play Germany and the USA in the wheelchair curling, Scott Meenagh faces the cross country sprint	12.20am-8am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today AD (from 13th)	2.30-3am	4Seven
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today Clare Balding, Jonnie Peacock and guests assess James Whitley’s slalom performance	7.30-8pm	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics highlights	11pm-12.20am	Channel 4
Thursday 15th March	Winter Paralympics Live Britain could have a trio of medal hopes in the women’s slalom – Menna Fitzpatrick, Millie Knight and Kelly Gallagher. GB’s wheelchair curling team take on hosts Korea.	12.20am-4.30am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today AD (from 14th)	2.30-3am	4Seven
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast Highlights of Britain’s women going for medals in the slalom	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today Clare Balding and Jonnie Peacock look ahead to tomorrow’s banked slalom snowboard event	7.30-8pm	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Highlights Clare Balding and Jonnie Peacock review all the best of the action	11pm-12.20am	Channel 4
Friday 16th March	Winter Paralympics Live Live coverage of the banked slalom snowboard event with Owen Pick, Ben Moore and James Barnes-Miller going for medals. Wheelchair curling semis get under way	12.20-8am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast ParalympicsGB will hope to be in the wheelchair curling semi-finals	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today	7.30-8pm	Channel 4
	The Last Leg	10-11pm	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Highlights	11pm-12.20am	Channel 4
Saturday 17th March	Winter Paralympics Live The wheelchair curling medal matches – four years ago ParalympicsGB took bronze	12.20am-8am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today AD	2.30-3am	4Seven
	The Last Leg AD (from 16th)	3-4am	4Seven
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today	5-6pm	Channel 4
Sunday 18th March	Winter Paralympics Live ParalympicsGB has medal hopes in the women’s giant slalom, the cross country relays should feature Scott Meenagh and it’s the Para Ice Hickey final	12.30-5.30am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today AD (from 17th)	2-3am	4Seven
	Winter Paralympics Breakfast All the highlights as the Games come to an end	8-9am	Channel 4
	Winter Paralympics Today incl. Closing Ceremony coverage	12.30-3pm	Channel 4
Monday 19th March	Winter Paralympics Today AD (from 18th)	2-3am	4Seven

Sponsorship

Channel 4’s exclusive UK broadcast coverage of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games will be sponsored by Toyota and Allianz as dual sponsors – the partnership sees lead sponsor Toyota joined by Allianz Insurance, visable around Channel 4’s coverage of the Games from South Korea which run from 9th to 18th March