Interviewing Jonathan at Jerez
Proud Rea family
SIX-time World Champion Jonathan Rea is the most successful World Superbike rider of all time.
Following his announcement to retire from full-time racing, UTV’s Ruth Gorman followed the Ballyclare man to Jerez for his final race weekend in October 2025.
The result is a special one hour show, ‘Jonathan Rea – Born to Win’ which airs this Friday at 9.00pm on UTV and on ITVX.
It wasn’t the fairytale ending he’d hoped for with a double crash weekend in Spain, but his legacy remains unscathed as he will be remembered for his six world titles in a row, 119 race wins and 264 podiums.
Once the dust settled Local Women Sports Columnist Ruth gained exclusive access to the Rea family as they looked back on a monumental career.
We hear from his parents, siblings, wife and children about life with one of our most famous sportsmen.
Ruth also speaks to those who have competed against Jonathan and those who have worked closely with him.
Her special hour long show goes back to the start when Jonathan’s love for bikes began as a two year old.
It reveals never seen before footage from his childhood and shows the making of the world champion.
We also get an intimate look into the man behind the visor and why his family is his proudest achievement.
Having followed his career over three decades, the programme documents the highs and lows of Jonathan’s career and hears about the next chapter as he becomes a test driver for Honda this year.
‘Jonathan Rea – Born to Win’ airs this Friday at 9.00pm on UTV and on ITVX.
JR (above) and with wife, Tatian (below)
