Channel 4 Re-Commissions Sunset+Vine To Deliver Crufts Highlights

Channel 4 has re-commissioned Sunset+Vine to deliver all the action and highlights from the world's greatest dog show for the tenth year running, with Mentorn Scotland producing a live programme about all things dog related on each afternoon of the event.

Crufts returns to TV screens in early March, spanning both Channel 4 and More4, with even more hours broadcast from this year's Kennel Club competition. The world famous event will see over 22,000 dogs and 140,000 visitors descend onto the NEC Birmingham – and Sunset+Vine and Mentorn Scotland, both part of the Tinopolis group, will produce 14 hours of coverage with additional live streaming available online.

Sunset+Vine will capture all the highs and lows of the competition with more than 20 cameras and over 130 crew members across the main arena and two studios. Mini cameras will bring all the action from the various competition events, with digital crews also spread around the five large-scale show halls each day.

Clare Balding will again head up the daily live coverage from Thursday 8 March through to Sunday 11 March, covering everything from the 40th anniversary of the skilful Agility and fast-paced Flyball competition, to the ‘The Best in Show’ award on the final evening of the event.

Clare will be joined by long-standing Crufts commentator Peter Purves, fellow commentators Jessica Holmes and Frank Kane, sports presenting legend Jim Rosenthal and Professor Noel Fitzpatrick.

In addition, chatty man Alan Carr will be hosting a daily afternoon entertainment show for all dog lovers, joined by Clare Balding, throughout the four day competition, including a preview show on Wednesday 7 March. The fun-filled, hour-long show, made by Mentorn, will be live from Crufts and feature a range of four- and two-legged guests discussing everything there is to know about the world of dogs.

Finally, hour-long documentary Scruffts: Britain’s Favourite Dog 2018, produced by Mentorn for the third year running, will air on Channel 4. The programme is presented by Alan Carr and follows the heart-warming stories of the six semi-finalist cross-breed dogs, all competing for the title of Scruffts Family Crossbreed Dog of the Year. The four-legged friends featured in the programme include Honey, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Whippet cross who assists owner and clinical psychologist Emma with her mental health work, and Anatolian Shepherd/German Shepherd cross Milo, who was rescued from Romania as a malnourished puppy and is now a happy and more confident dog with owner Charley.

In addition to the coverage on Channel 4 and More4, viewers all over the world will be following all the action via the Crufts YouTube channel live stream.