Whisper is pleased to announce that Paralympic Gold Medallist and World Champion Swimmer, Broadcaster and Inclusion Lead, Liz Johnson, has joined the award-winning production company, as it prepares to produce the 2024 Paris Paralympics with Channel 4.
As Executive Producer for the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Liz will be an intrinsic part of the Whisper and Channel 4 Production Team, as it continues to develop and progress coverage of the Paralympic Games. Whisper and Channel 4 delivered award-winning coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, while the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics featured the first-ever 100% disabled presenting team.
In her new role, Liz will feed into the tone and creative direction of the Games. She will work to help the team further enhance representation and better inform audiences on the huge range of disabilities and experiences that exist, ensuring that everyone watching the Games feels included and understood.
Liz will work with Matt Roberts and Kay Satterley at Whisper who delivered the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics.
As the first stage, Liz is helping with additional recruitment of the production team. Her experience will ensure Whisper’s processes are as inclusive as possible, drawing on her role as co-founder and MD of The Ability People, the UK’s first and only disability-led recruitment business.
For the 2020 Tokyo Games, 16% of Whisper’s production team identified as disabled, which increased to 18% for the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics. The team for 2024 will continue to progress this.
Liz Johnson, Executive Producer, Whisper said: “I’m so pleased to be involved with Whisper’s coverage of the Paralympic Games on Channel 4. I worked with many members of the 2020 Tokyo team as presenter and commentator and have seen the impressive work Whisper’s doing to improve diversity and inclusion, both in front of and behind the camera. To have this opportunity to bring together all my interests and talents is beyond exciting.
“We want our coverage to present the sport in the best and most creative way possible, but also to normalise disability and raise awareness of what disability means in 2024. We want to ensure our coverage is relatable to all.”
Mark Cole, Managing Director, Whisper said: “It’s great to have Liz as Executive Producer for the 2024 Paris Paralympics, helping us to ensure the coverage is as entertaining and authentic as possible.
“With the incredible growth of Paralympic sport, the 2024 Games are set to be the biggest yet, offering us a huge opportunity to make an impact with our coverage.
“We’re currently building our Paralympics team, drawing on our exceptional in-house talent along with new hires. I know that Liz already has lots of ideas and plans and I’m looking forward to working with her on them.”
Whisper has established itself as one of the UK’s leading production companies for sport, unscripted and documentaries. Credits include Women’s EURO 2022 for BBC, Formula One for Channel 4, Today at The Test for BBC, Women’s Super League for BBC, The Rugby League World Cup for the BBC – as well as Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes and both the 2020 Toyoko Paralympics and Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics for Channel 4.
