Paralympian Will Bayley to guest edit BBC radio show

The gold medallist will take the helm on Sarah Gorrell's show on Friday

Brighton-based Paralympian Will Bayley will be the first in a series of guest editors for BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey.

Bayley, who is ranked the world's number one Paralympic table tennis player and was awarded an MBE in 2017, said he was "very, very excited" to take the reins of Sarah Gorrell's show at 10:00 GMT on Friday.

Other notable figures from across the region stepping into the editor's shoes include scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, children's author Jacqueline Wilson, writer Dorothy Koomson and former Olympic athlete Sally Gunnell.

Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Bayley said: "I've never done anything like this before on the radio."

Guest editors will take over Sarah's show every Friday in January, and on 28 February when Jacqueline Wilson will guest edit.

On 10 January, Will Bayley will talk about his home club Brighton Table Tennis Club, where he coaches Paralympian Bly Twomey, as well as Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He said: "It's close to my heart as I spent most of my childhood in Great Ormond Street Hospital with my disability and non-Hodgkin lymphoma."

Vicki Berry, executive editor of BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey, said: "I'm really excited that we have got such a fantastic range of high calibre guests to edit our programmes.

"We've asked them to pick three subjects that they are passionate about that we can discuss on the programme and I'm especially looking forward to hearing their thoughts on these."