Reggie Yates

Reggie Yates is a British broadcaster, writer and director. He moved from children’s TV and acting in shows including Dr Who to making his own short films and presenting entertainment shows like The Voice. He currently makes documentaries for the BBC including the award-winning Extreme series in Russia, South Africa, the UK and Australia. In The Insider series, Reggie spends time inside some of the world’s most brutal institutions including a Texan jail and he has just filmed in Iraq inside a migrant camp. He also recently presented Special Forces Ultimate Hell Week, an endurance challenge where men and women are pushed beyond their limits by the world’s toughest special forces.

Reggie Yates is a broadcaster, actor, writer and director.

He started his career at the tender age of just eight when he appeared in seminal comedy, Desmonds followed by a role as a footballer on A Bit of Fry & Laurie. After a year on Channel Five Soap, Family Affairs and the obligatory turn in The Bill, Reggie landed the part of Carl in BBC cult kid’s show Grange Hill.

Yet acting wasn’t enough to keep Reggie occupied, his presenting skills led to him hosting Diggit where he first worked with Fearne Cotton back in 1998! The BBC quickly spotted his potential and he was recruited to become part of the trio hosting Sunday morning kids show, Smile. Alongside Fearne, Dev and a puppet called Nev, Reggie earned cult status with the feature Bubblin’ and the show’s mischievous energetic feel.

Reggie’s love of music soon came to the foreground as he took his place as a core part of the BBC’s new Black music station, 1Xtra aged just 18. Alongside Dev, he hosted a show for 2 years with highlights including broadcasting from the FA Cup Final and interviewing soon to be Hollywood heavyweight, Jamie Foxx.

As a stalwart of CBBC Reggie got the chance to land some pretty great presenting jobs, he took free kicks with David Beckham in Madrid (Beckham’s Hot Shots), braved the jungles of Brazil (Escape from Scorpion Island) and toured the States with Fearne in the hit show, Only in America. He also found time to co-devise and star in comedy, The Crust, and drama, UGetMe. Amongst a string of children’s shows, Reggie also fronted the Saturday morning programme, Mighty Truck of Stuff which saw him fill a truck with… stuff and then give it away!

Reggie burst on to primetime telly hosting the BBC’s longest running music franchise, the internationally recognised Top of the Pops. Even after the shows regular run came to a close, Reggie continues to be the host of the much loved Xmas Day edition of the show. And as if one cornerstone of British pop culture wasn’t enough, Reggie played the part of Leo in the 2007 series of Doctor Who where he avoided being shot by Daleks or anything else made out of cardboard!

It wasn’t long before Reggie was asked to guest on Radio 1 and as if to prove his credentials as a huge music fan his first specialist show saw some of the very first plays on Radio 1 being Adele and Mr. Hudson. Reunited with Fearne Cotton, the duo took to the air on Weekend Breakfast before heading to the afternoon slot with both the Request Show and the all important Chart Show. After two years together Fearne left the show and Reggie hosted the shows solo announcing the number 1 to the nation every Sunday at 4pm until December 2012 when he left to pursue other projects.

2009 was a stellar year for Reggie, he helped teenagers across the country with his light hearted take on life coaching with The Almost Perfect Guide to Life for BBC2, found a new home at MTV hosting specials on Eminem, Jay-Z and Whitney Houston, donned his wellies for BBC 3 and toured the country hosting the coverage of all the major music festivals from Glastonbury to T in the Park. As if the mud wasn’t bad enough, Reggie braved his deepest fears as he took part in Jack Osbourne’s Adrenaline Junkie where he jumped out of helicopters and worse, in a bid to not get called chicken. For the first time in its history, the MOBOs left London to hold their annual award show in Glasgow, but you can’t take London out of the event as Reggie presided over the awards which included a touching tribute to the late Michael Jackson from his family, Jermaine and LaToya. His stellar performance led to him being offered the chance to host BBC3’s week long dance competition, Move Like Michael Jackson which aired in December 2009.

Acting remains a major passion of Reggie’s and in September 2009 ITV2 screened the eight part drama, Trinity produced by Ash Atalla (The Office). Playing working class hero Theo, Reggie wowed audiences with his portrayal of a student trying to find his way through an elitist college as well as how he fluked getting with the hottest girl in the year. Reggie appeared in his first feature film in 2011, teen slasher movie Demons Never Die alongside Robert Sheehan & Tulisa Constostavlos.

Alongside Fearne Cotton Reggie hosted Glastonbury, Reading, T In The Park and the Big Weekend for BBC3 in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, Reggie hosted a Christmas special for ITV called This Is Justin Bieber and Christmas Top of the Pops on BBC1 and again in 2012.

In 2010 Reggie visited the slums of Kibera, Kenya for a life changing experience with Comic Relief. The moving two part films ‘Famous Rich and in the Slums’ were broadcast on BBC1 to much acclaim. Reggie has established himself as a documentary maker on the BBC and in early 2011 he fronted a leading BBC3 show Autistic Superstars for which he received a prestigious RTS nomination, and a follow up series ‘Tourettes: Let Me Entertain You’. Reggie filmed a documentary, ‘Inside Teen Gangs’ also for BBC3 which was broadcast last year.

And just as it was getting a little serious 2011 saw Reggie become a Jamaican rodent. No really! Reggie a prolific voiceover artist has lent his talent to Rastamouse playing the eponymous lead character for CBeebies as well as playing in Australia and Poland.

In 2012 and 2013 Reggie hosted the BBC1 primetime entertainment singing show The Voice UK alongside Holly Willoughby and a Halloween special of Release the Hounds on ITV2.

2013 Reggie travelled to South Africa to shoot a series about extreme communities. Reggie Yates: Extreme Africa was incredibly well received and aired in Spring 2014 on BBC Three with a repeat on BBC One.

Reggie is also a talented writer and director. His first short film Patriarch was aired on Channel 4 as part of their Random Acts season and he has just completed his second short Date Night starring Daniel Kaluuya and Tony Way which excitingly has just won ‘Best UK Short Film’ at the London Independent Film Festival!

Reggie has an impressive body of documentary work, from ‘Comic Relief in Kibera’ to ‘Autistic Superstars’ and ‘Tourettes: Let me Entertain You for BBC3′. Most recently, Reggie has been seen on his award winning series ‘Reggie Yates: Extreme Russia’, which not only was awarded an RTS award for Best Programme, but Reggie also earned a RTS award for Best Presenter. Extreme Russia followed ‘Extreme Africa’ and ‘Extreme UK’, which aired on BBC1 and BBC3 in 2014/2015 to huge critical acclaim.

Reggie is currently working on more quality documentaries with Sundog Pictures and Keo Films that will air this year.

Furthermore, Reggie has created successful content for brands such as Mercedes, Burton, Pentax and Ebay.