Disabled guest announcers take control of Channel 4's continuity mics

Three disabled guest announcers will join Channel 4’s long serving announcer Corie Brown to introduce programmes on four of the broadcaster’s channels on Thursday (22.12.16).

The evening’s schedule will feature disabled people delivering continuity announcements as part of Channel 4’s Year of Disability.

Corie, one of Channel 4’s most popular and familiar voices with 15 years’ experience at the broadcaster, will give More 4 viewers an insight into her everyday reality of living and working with a visual impairment. Corie will be joined by guest announcers Holly Graham who has albinism, Matt Callard who has suffered with a severe stammer all his life, and George Scotland, who lives with dyspraxia. On 4Seven, Channel 4 continuity apprentice Chris Renouf, who is deaf, will be at the mic.

Corie said: “Channel 4 is doing phenomenal work on and off air to embrace difference and challenge perceptions around disability and I'm proud to be adding my voice to that.  If everyone watching our network on Thursday learns something from the personal stories being shared in continuity links – and if that encourages conversations or makes viewers think differently - then it will be another great step forward!”

Dan Brooke, Channel 4’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, said the broadcaster will sustain its efforts to improve disability opportunities beyond 2016, and added: “Our efforts have opened our minds to the wealth of talent out there, and our year of disability will not be a flash in the pan.”

Channel 4 has undertaken a range of initiatives throughout 2016 promoting opportunities for disabled people both on and off screen. And the broadcaster’s Continuity Team has played a key role throughout the year providing opportunities for a range of disabled people to take over the announcer’s mic in the continuity booth.

The three guest announcers will take hold of the continuity mic on Channel 4, E4 and Film 4 this Thursday evening. Matt, Holly and George worked with Continuity Creative Managers Dom O’Shea, Isla Paton, Barra Fitzgibbon and Kelsey Bennett who helped them prepare for their turn in the continuity booth. Chris worked with his announcer mentor Jeanna Gallagher.