Judge Robert Rinder is taking the stand
He’s presided over daytime TV with his reality courtroom series Judge Rinder since 2014. Here’s how right-minded magistrate Robert Rinder became a multimedia broadcasting powerhouse
Order in the court! With his unique personal brand — funny but straightforward; warm but no-nonsense — Robert Rinder has, since 2014, amassed legions of fans as the face and sound legal brain of ITV’s Judge Rinder. (On which he delivers verdicts with all the scathing wit of a Drag Race judge; the library is officially open when he’s around!)
He’s long been one of the most famous gay male faces on TV, but in the intervening eight years, the criminal barrister’s media career has grown in exciting new directions. His TV credits, for starters, are now long and varied, and often transcend the courtroom: he’s a familiar face in the primetime light entertainment space, for example, finishing fifth on the 2016 series of Strictly Come Dancing, and appearing on Celebrity Gogglebox with close friend Susannah Reid of Good Morning Britain fame in 2020.
Speaking of the flagship ITV morning show, Robert has demonstrated considerable news chops when appearing on it as an occasional co-host. (Look up videos of him eviscerating politicians if you need a laugh.) Furthermore, he has in recent years broken out of the confines of the small screen to conquer the airwaves, too: he’s the permanent host of talkRADIO’s Friday Drivetime slot, having previously presented a six-part series on Classic FM.
Naturally, the recipient of our Broadcast Award uses his growing platform to draw attention to the issues that matter to him, not least with 2020’s heartbreaking two-part BBC documentary My Family, the Holocaust and Me, which saw him help Jewish families discover the full truth about what happened to their relatives during the Holocaust. (The following year, now-King Charles made Robert a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to Holocaust education and awareness.)
In addition to his work as a Legal Services Ambassador for the homelessness charity, Shelter, Robert is a patron of Curly’s Legacy, a not-for-profit working farm that supports the emotional, social, mental health and wellbeing of young people. (Attitude has also supported the organisation through funds raised through our own Attitude Magazine Foundation.) Robert’s altruism was further exemplified when he helped relatives of Oksana Platero, his Ukrainian Strictly partner, flee the country after Russia’s invasion this year.
Add Robert’s social media presence to the mix — some 240k Twitter followers and 177k Instagram followers — and one thing is clear: this is a star with an audience. Whether musing on music, opining on politics or flexing the long arm of the law with apt neutrality, a growing number of people are paying attention to what this 44-year-old Londoner has to say.
Check out Rob Rinder’s acceptance speech from the 2022 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards below:
The Attitude Awards issue is out now.