Radzi Chinyanganya

Munyaradzi Thomas Kingsley Chinyanganya (born 12 September 1987) is a British presenter and broadcaster. He co-presented the BBC children's TV programme Blue Peter from 2013 until 2019, and the ITV game show Cannonball in 2017. Previously he presented Wild on CBBC and was the host of Match of the Day Kickabout from 2013 until 2014, when Ben Shires took over. In October 2018, it was announced that Chinyanganya would be working for American professional wrestling company WWE for its NXT UK brand, as a backstage interviewer.

Radzi Chinyanganya
Born
Munyaradzi Thomas Kingsley Chinyanganya

(1987-09-12) 12 September 1987
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Alma materLoughborough University
OccupationPresenter
Years active2012–present
Television

Early life

Chinyanganya was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, and lived there for his first ten years,[1] subsequently moving to Wolverhampton where he spent his teenage years. He was born to a Scottish mother (from Dundee[1]) and a Zimbabwean father.[2] He attended Adams' Grammar School in Newport, Shropshire.[3] A graduate of Loughborough University,[4] he worked on Loughborough University's TV and radio station while a student.[2]

Following university he pursued an attempt to join the British skeleton bobsleigh team for the 2014 Winter Olympics, although he was unsuccessful in qualification rounds.[1]

Career

Sports hosting

At a screen test in The O2 Arena, he was selected as the official weightlifting presenter at the London 2012 Olympics.[2] He hosted the weightlifting tournament, spoke on stage at the Excel Arena, interviewed athletes, introduced the weight categories and entertained the crowd.[2] He was invited back to present the London 2012 Paralympic Games.[2] He was a presenter with the BBC coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea and the 2020 Snooker World Championship, Sheffield. He was also the official commentator of the 2018 World's Ultimate Strongman Competition in Dubai.

In 2021, Chinyanganya was part of the Eurosport presenting team at the Tokyo Olympics. It was later announced he would become the main presenter for snookers' Triple Crown events on Eurosport, taking over from Colin Murray who had departed the role at the end of the 2020–21 snooker season.[5]

Television

Chinyanganya presented Your Body: Your Image for BBC Two, an educational series about body image in schools.[2] He co-presented Wild on CBBC with Naomi Wilkinson and Tim Warwood which first aired in 2013.[4] In October 2013, he became the 37th presenter of Blue Peter after being announced following the departure of Helen Skelton.[6] He was a reporter and presenter of CBBC's Match of the Day Kickabout.[6]

In January 2020, he competed in the twelfth series of Dancing on Ice alongside professional partner Jess Hatfield.[7][8]

Other work

He was a contestant in Sky One's Gladiators in 2008 and reached the semi-finals and was the only contestant in history to attempt the eliminator wearing a swimming cap.[2] He was selected to attend Kiss FM's Presenter Academy, and spent the whole summer online reporting for Bauer Media radio station.[2] In this role he interviewed artists and the public and sampled Olympic entertainment in London.[2]

He has a cameo as Mi in Kung Fu Panda 3.[9]

He is a former backstage interviewer for WWE's NXT UK brand.

He is also the Sky Sports NBA presenter.

He also does backstage interviews for Giants Live strongman competitions.

In 2021, he hosted the University of Derby’s open day.

Personal life

He is Christian, and has stated in interview that his Christian faith is one of his driving passions.[1] He has described his parents as being Christians, but from different Christian denominations, leading to an inter-faith upbringing.[1] In November 2020 Chinyanganya announced on the BBC's Songs of Praise programme that his own baptism had taken place at the Roman Catholic church of St Leonard and St Fergus in Ardler, a suburb of Dundee.[10]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Channel
2008 Gladiators Contestant Sky One
2012 2012 Summer Olympics Weightlifting host BBC Red Button
Your Body: Your Image Presenter BBC Two
2013–14 Wild Presenter CBBC
Match of the Day Kickabout Presenter
2013–2019 Blue Peter Presenter
2014 Gareth's All-Star Choir Himself BBC One
2014; 2016–17 The Dog Ate My Homework Panelist; 3 episodes CBBC
2014 Hacker Time Guest
2015–present Songs of Praise Co-presenter BBC One
2015 Celebrity Mastermind Contestant
2016 London Marathon 2016 Reporter
Rank the Prank Himself CBBC
Great South Run 2016 Presenter Channel 5
2017 Remotely Funny Contestant CBBC
Art Ninja Himself; Cameo
Celebrity Eggheads Contestant BBC Two
Cannonball[11] Co-presenter ITV
Strictly Come Dancing: Children in Need 2017[12] Contestant BBC One
2018 2018 Winter Olympics Presenter BBC One, BBC Four
Ninja Warrior UK Contestant ITV
The Crystal Maze[13] Channel 4
2018-2020 NXT UK[14] Backstage Interviewer WWE Network
2019 Crufts Channel 4
2020 Dancing on Ice Contestant ITV
World Snooker Championships Presenter BBC
2021 Beat The Chasers: Celebrity Special Contestant ITV
2022 World Snooker Championships Presenter Eurosport
Formula E Presenter Channel 4, Formula E TV
2023 Good Morning Britain Guest Entertainment Presenter - April ITV

Film
Year Title Role
2016 Kung Fu Panda 3 Mi (voice)

References
  1. "Radzi Chinyanganya speaks about his faith". BBC. 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  2. Avalon Management Group Ltd. "Radzi Chinyanganya". aceuk.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  3. "Blue Peter host Radzi Chinyanganya goes back to his roots « Express & Star". expressandstar.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  4. "Radzi Chinyanganya makes his 'Blue Peter' debut". digitaljournal.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  5. Hector Nunns (25 November 2021). "Former Blue Peter Presenter Radzi Relishing Challenge Of Being Snooker's Fresh Face". The Sportsman. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  6. "BBC – New line-up announced as Helen Skelton to leave Blue Peter – Media Centre". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  7. "Caprice completes Dancing on Ice line-up". BBC. 1 October 2019. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  8. "Michael Barrymore pulls out of Dancing On Ice with broken wrist". ITV News. Archived from the original on 7 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  9. "Lindsey Russell". IMDb. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  10. "Growing in faith in the great outdoors". BBC. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  11. "Freddie Flintoff to host ITV obstacle game show Cannonball". Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  12. "BBC – Here's one they rehearsed earlier! Six Blue Peter stars take to the Strictly ballroom for Children in Need – Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  13. "Contestants announced for new celebrity specials of the Crystal Maze - Channel 4 - Info - Press". Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  14. "WWE: Homepage". Archived from the original on 4 September 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
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