The Brighton based radio outfit Carousel Radio have received major praise for their work within the disabled community. And now they have extended their influence onto the national stage.
On Saturday 19th May, the Brighton based Carousel Radio team won Gold at the British Podcast Awards at King’s Place in London. What makes this reward so remarkable is the nature of Carousel’s work. The group nurture disabled talent, with the programme itself put together by their learning disabled team. The team comprises Ewan MacAdam, Fran Reynolds and Davot Irving, who write, record and present the show.
The company work across the arts, within music, visual, and performance arts, promoting local disabled talent within the Sussex area. The company have close links with Daniel Wakeford, a local celebrity following his appearance on Channel 4’s The Undateables. From then on Carousel helped Daniel to receive a record deal. He has since released his own pop music, recently releasing his album The Songs of Gigs. Wakeford’s success evidences Carousel’s brilliance in encouraging disabled artists to thrive and express themselves.

To further highlight the growing influence of their work, famed BBC comedian Josh Widdicombe presented the award. The star on hit shows like The Last Leg, Have I Got News for You and BBC Three sitcom Josh ensured this was an event reflective of Carousel’s continued successes.
The judges heaped praise upon Carousel, highlighting its impressive originality and inclusive nature:
“… it platforms voices we genuinely feel have been filtered out of our experiences of media in the UK, resulting in a distinct listening experience. The contribution format felt democratised and refreshing, ‘no filter’ feel, unpredictable so engaging, not over edited – highly original content.”
In light of this award, Ewan MacAdam has adopted an optimistic outlook on Carousel’s future:
“It’s a positive step for Carousel Radio. I hope that more people will listen now and enjoy the show”
Carousel can be found on Brighton’s RadioReverb, whose director Tracey Allen said in light of the award that:
“Winning this prestigious podcasting award is a testament to the hard work from both the Carousel Radio and RadioReverb teams.”
Celebrate this brilliant success for both Carousel itself, and our inclusive Brighton community, by listening to the Carousel Radio podcast at http://carouselradio.podomatic.com/ or via RadioReverb at 97.2FM in Brighton, DAB and online at 2pm on the first Sunday of each month.