Hot Shots 2023: Ruben Reuter

Previously a regular face on CBBC as a cast member of drama The Dumping Ground, Ruben Reuter is now a cornerstone of Channel 4 News. As a young man with Down’s Syndrome, Reuter has brought a new dimension to the show since joining in 2021, by putting the challenges faced by disabled people centre stage, shining a light on positive stories of inclusion, and giving a voice to communities often unheard in mainstream news programmes.

Working with doc-maker Rosie Baldwin, Reuter has tackled the impact of Covid on disabled people and pursued stories on nature, sport and the environment. One of his key interviews last year was with Oscar-winning actor and film-maker James Martin, who also has Down’s Syndrome. The pair talked candidly about feared post-Brexit funding cuts to Mencap, which had helped Martin into work.

Reuter’s reports on abortion access bagged him an RTS Award nomination and he dug deeper into the issue with RDF Television/Hey Sonny C4 doc Disability And Abortion: The Hardest Choice, which he co-presented with actor and campaigner Ruth Madeley.

Reuter first burst onto screens aged 12, in a CBBC My Life documentary about young people with Down’s Syndrome, and got his taste for journalism with a second edition, The Real Dumping Ground, in which he visited institutions for disabled children in Moldova.

Baldwin describes him as a “consummate professional”, adding: “Ruben brings an unmatched energy and enthusiasm to the stories he works on and is always offering up creative ideas. His warmth and humour not only puts contributors at ease, but invites audiences to difficult stories in an accessible way.”