Ashley-John Baptiste

Ashley-John Baptiste is a BBC broadcast journalist and presenter who advocates for children in the care system. After gaining national recognition through ITV’s X Factor in 2011 as part of the band The Risk, Ashley-John Baptiste forged a distinguished career as a BBC broadcast journalist and presenter. Following his participation, he joined the BBC creative access scheme and, in 2012, presented the BBC Three documentary ‘Care Home Kids: Looking For Love,’ marking his consistent focus on children’s welfare and social justice. A graduate of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, with an upper second in History in 2011, Ashley-John Baptiste also mentored students and delivered keynote addresses for The PLACE (Project for Looked After Children’s Education) in 2012 and at the Havering College of Further and Higher Education awards ceremony in 2013.

In 2020, Ashley-John Baptiste authored the BBC News article ‘The Mangrove Nine: Echoes of black lives matter from 50 years ago.’ That year, he co-hosted the 8-episode BBC Two series ‘Stories Of Us’ and presented the BBC documentary ‘Being Black at Cambridge.’ His industry influence was recognized when named the first ambassador for the Royal Television Society (RTS) bursary schemes, supporting students entering broadcasting. In 2022, he presented the BBC Three documentary ‘Split Up in Care: Life without Siblings,’ exploring sibling separation within the UK care system and for which he actively campaigns for changes in fostering laws. Beyond broadcast, Ashley-John Baptiste founded Be Inspired, an organization dedicated to supporting care-experienced young people. As a prominent BBC journalist and presenter, he consistently advocates for children in the care system, leveraging his platform to shed light on marginalized communities and drive positive change, solidifying his position as a compelling voice in British media.