Adam Hills was born without a right foot and wears a prosthesis. He has spent his career proving that disability does not limit ambition, using comedy and sport to shift public perceptions worldwide.
Early Life and Personal Background
Adam Hills was born without a right foot, and the exact cause remains unknown to this day. His parents received simple advice from doctors: treat him like any other child and let him pick himself up when he fell. That approach shaped his resilient mindset from an early age.
Hills has stated that he never considered himself disabled growing up. He explained, “There’s nothing I can’t do, so technically I don’t think I am disabled”. His parents’ decision to let him play cricket, tennis, and rugby league like other children built the confidence that would define his career.
In a 2012 interview, Hills noted that he has enough of his foot to walk without a prosthetic, which gave him what he called “a foot in both camps”. This unique position allowed him to relate to both able-bodied people and those with disabilities throughout his life.
Comedy Career and The Last Leg
Hills deliberately avoided discussing his disability on stage for over a decade. His manager advised him not to mention it because he would be known as “the one-legged comedian”. He wanted to prove himself as a comic first before addressing the topic.
The turning point came after September 11, when airport security became more alert to his prosthesis setting off metal detectors. That experience gave him a genuine reason to finally incorporate his disability into his stand-up material.
In 2012, Channel 4 launched The Last Leg as a comedic wrap-up of the London Paralympics. Hills hosted alongside Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker, and the show’s popularity turned it into a permanent series. It has been nominated for BAFTA awards and returned for its 24th series in 2022.
The show introduced the #isitok hashtag, inviting viewers to ask questions about disability they feared might be inappropriate. Hills explained the philosophy behind it: “If all you’re doing is pointing out the funny in the Paralympics then you’re mocking disabled people. But if you’re celebrating them as well, then you’re covering both bases”.
Hills credits the show with “accidentally” breaking down barriers. He noted that when people now complain about a lack of diversity on The Last Leg, it signals progress: “We have ticked that one diversity box so hard in indelible ink, that people just ignore us”.
Physical Disability Rugby League
Rugby league has been central to Hills’s life since birth. His father brought a red and green toy rabbit to the hospital when he was three days old, ensuring he would support the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He played rugby throughout school until his prosthesis began to hold him back.
In 2017, Hills learned that South Sydney had started a Physical Disability Rugby League team. He then contacted Warrington Wolves, who wanted to establish England’s first PDRL team, and helped them get it off the ground. He was 47 years old at the time.
Hills has since played over 30 matches for Warrington, South Sydney, and Australia. He competed in the inaugural PDRL World Cup in 2022 and represented Australia internationally. He has fractured an ankle, been knocked unconscious, and torn multiple muscles, yet says he would not change a thing.
His commitment was so strong that he turned down an invitation to Prince Charles’s 70th birthday at Buckingham Palace because it fell on a Tuesday, which was training night. He traveled nearly two hours from London to Warrington at least once a week for seven years to train with his team.
In 2020, Hills donated profits from his documentary Take His Legs to all five UK PDRL clubs to support them during the pandemic. He described feeling “very responsible for it, almost like a parent as I was there as it came into the world”.Frequently Asked Questions
What is Adam Hills’s disability?
Adam Hills was born without a right foot and wears a prosthesis. The exact cause of his limb difference remains unknown. His parents were advised to treat him like any other child, letting him pick himself up when he fell, which shaped his resilient mindset from an early age.
What is Physical Disability Rugby League, and how did Adam Hills get involved?
Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) is a modified version of rugby league for players with physical disabilities. Hills helped establish England’s first PDRL team with Warrington Wolves in 2017 after learning his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs had started a team. He has since played over 30 matches for Warrington, South Sydney, and Australia, competing in the inaugural PDRL World Cup in 2022.
What is para-standing tennis?
Para-standing tennis is a format of tennis for people with physical impairments, including limb loss, cerebral palsy, and short stature, who play without a wheelchair. Hills discovered the sport after years of searching for a version of tennis he could play standing. He now advocates for its inclusion in Grand Slam tournaments and the Paralympics, and released a documentary titled Adam Hills: Foot Fault on the subject.
What is The Last Leg and how does it address disability?
The Last Leg is a Channel 4 comedy talk show that began in 2012 as a Paralympics highlights program. Hosted by Adam Hills alongside Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker, the show introduced the #isitok hashtag, inviting viewers to ask potentially awkward questions about disability. The show has been credited with breaking down barriers and changing attitudes toward disability in mainstream media.
What honours has Adam Hills received for his disability advocacy?
Adam Hills was appointed MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to Paralympic sport and disability awareness. He has also served as an ambassador for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup and currently serves as President of the Rugby Football League.
Para-Standing Tennis Advocacy
Hills has been playing tennis since age five and became a professional coach at 18 before pursuing comedy. However, he spent years searching for a form of tennis that did not require him to use a wheelchair.
Para-standing tennis is designed for people with physical impairments, including limb loss, cerebral palsy, and short stature, who want to play without a wheelchair. Hills discovered it about a year and a half before speaking with the LTA in 2024 and has been playing ever since.
He described the experience: “For me, what I love about para-standing tennis is, it’s tennis! It’s tennis how I’ve always played it but now, I get to play it against people with a similar disability”. He called it “a level playing field for the first time in my life”.
His advocacy led to the Sky Original documentary Adam Hills: Foot Fault, which explores barriers faced by disability tennis players. The sport has grown significantly, with the US Open hosting its first para-standing event in 2023. The International Tennis Federation sanctioned European and World Championships in 2024.
Hills has called for para-standing tennis to be included in Grand Slam tournaments and eventually the Paralympics. He joked that he might compete at Brisbane 2032 when he would be 62, relying on a younger doubles partner to pull him through.
Recognition and Awards
In the 2022 New Year Honours, Hills was appointed MBE for services to Paralympic sport and disability awareness. He joked that he had already Googled “Australian comedians who have received honours” and “are Australians even eligible for an MBE”.
He stated that Paralympic sport changed how he saw his own disability: “I feel so incredibly lucky to be given the chance to cover the Paralympics and am happy to shout about Paralympic sport at every opportunity”. He added that being awarded for doing that felt “kind of like being awarded for eating chocolate”.
Hills currently serves as President of the Rugby Football League and continues to advocate for disability inclusion in sport. He has used his platform to support the growth of PDRL and para-standing tennis worldwide.
Through comedy and athletics, Adam Hills has demonstrated that disability does not define capability. His work with The Last Leg, PDRL, and para-standing tennis has created tangible opportunities for others while challenging outdated assumptions about what people with disabilities can achieve.Frequently Asked Questions
What is Adam Hills’s disability?
Adam Hills was born without a right foot and wears a prosthesis. The exact cause of his limb difference remains unknown. His parents were advised to treat him like any other child, letting him pick himself up when he fell, which shaped his resilient mindset from an early age.
What is Physical Disability Rugby League, and how did Adam Hills get involved?
Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) is a modified version of rugby league for players with physical disabilities. Hills helped establish England’s first PDRL team with Warrington Wolves in 2017 after learning his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs had started a team. He has since played over 30 matches for Warrington, South Sydney, and Australia, competing in the inaugural PDRL World Cup in 2022.
What is para-standing tennis?
Para-standing tennis is a format of tennis for people with physical impairments, including limb loss, cerebral palsy, and short stature, who play without a wheelchair. Hills discovered the sport after years of searching for a version of tennis he could play standing. He now advocates for its inclusion in Grand Slam tournaments and the Paralympics, and released a documentary titled Adam Hills: Foot Fault on the subject.
What is The Last Leg and how does it address disability?
The Last Leg is a Channel 4 comedy talk show that began in 2012 as a Paralympics highlights program. Hosted by Adam Hills alongside Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker, the show introduced the #isitok hashtag, inviting viewers to ask potentially awkward questions about disability. The show has been credited with breaking down barriers and changing attitudes toward disability in mainstream media.
What honours has Adam Hills received for his disability advocacy?
Adam Hills was appointed MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to Paralympic sport and disability awareness. He has also served as an ambassador for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup and currently serves as President of the Rugby Football League.
