Channel 4 is marking International Transgender Day of Visibility with the UK’s first transgender continuity announcer.
Amy Stanning will take over continuity duties on the station at 5pm on Thursday. Her voice will be heard around programmes including Eight Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Alan Carr: Chatty Man.
As well as announcing up-coming programmes, Stanning will also talk about her experiences as a transgender person and raise awareness around the day, founded in 2009, to celebrate transgender people and raise awareness of discrimination faced by them worldwide.
“I’m delighted that Channel 4 are celebrating the International Transgender Day of Visibility during primetime TV,” said Stanning, who works for Barclays Mortgages and is co-chair of their LGBT employee network.
“Transgender people contribute to all walks of British life and it’s time to recognise their contribution and help people be positive and open about themselves.”
Three years ago Channel 4 launched its “alternative voices” initiative which saw five people with communication difficulties join the channel’s continuity team for 10 days, including writer and artist Jess Thom, who has Tourette syndrome.
Dan Brooke, Channel 4’s chief marketing and communications officer, said: “We are always looking for new ways to celebrate diversity on Channel 4.
“I’m proud to bring Amy on board she’s the perfect way to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility and build on our work with the Alternative Voices campaign.”
