Legal Rinder was
called to the bar in 2001, starting his
pupillage at 2
Paper Buildings. He then became a tenant at 2
Hare Court. He went on to specialise in cases involving international fraud, money laundering and other forms of financial crime. He was involved in prosecutions following the
murders of Leticia Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis in January 2003, who were shot in a
drive-by shooting, and the defence of British servicemen on charges of manslaughter after the deaths of detainees in Iraq.
Television While practising as a barrister, Rinder wrote television scripts in his spare time. Upon attempting to sell one, he met producer Tom McLennan. He approached
ITV with a proposal for a remake of the 1970s programme
Crown Court, but this was rejected in favour of a British version of
Judge Judy, and McLennan offered Rinder the opportunity to front it. Shortly after the programme started, he criticised
Judith Sheindlin, the judge of
Judge Judy, for making judgements based on her preconceptions while claiming that he applied the law seriously and made "real legal rulings". Despite this, he insisted that it be clarified on the programme that he is a practising criminal law barrister and not a civil court judge. As such, he wears his normal barrister's
court dress but without the
barrister's wig. Rinder received praise for his cross-examination abilities and acerbic comments. In 2015, Rinder released a book called
Rinder Rules. In 2016, he presented a new series, ''
Judge Rinder's Crime Stories, with reconstructions of real crimes. He also hosted Raising the Bar
on BBC Radio 5 Live, which he started with a discussion with former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge. In December 2017 Rinder re-launched Crown Court
on ITV, newly named Judge Rinder's Crown Court'', with a two-part special after a 30-year hiatus. In 2016, Rinder competed in the
fourteenth series of
Strictly Come Dancing, stating that he was doing so to make his grandmother proud of him. Rinder was partnered with Ukrainian-born professional dancer
Oksana Platero. Rinder was eliminated in week 11 after scoring 31 points dancing a
Samba to "
Oh, What a Night". He ended the competition in fifth place. In an episode of
Who Do You Think You Are? broadcast on 13 August 2018, Rinder traced his Jewish family's tragic history and made new discoveries about his grandfather, Morris Malenicky, a survivor of both
Schlieben and
Theresienstadt concentration camps. In December 2018, Rinder hosted
Good Year Bad Year, a one-off special on
Channel 4 where he discussed the topical highs and lows of 2018 along with a number of celebrity guests. In 2019, he began hosting the Channel 4 series
The Rob Rinder Verdict. In July 2020, Rinder appeared on series 2 of
Celebrity Gogglebox alongside
Susanna Reid. In November 2020, Rinder released
My Family, the Holocaust and Me for BBC One, a documentary which helped Jewish families discover the full truth about what happened to their relatives during
the Holocaust. The documentary received widespread acclaim, and was called "a vital history lesson". Rinder presented on
Good Morning Britain on
ITV in 2022. On 14 July 2022,
Crime & Investigation UK commissioned the 10-part crime series ''Rob Rinder's Interrogation Secrets''; presented by Rinder, the series premiered on 4 September 2022. In November 2022, it was announced that Rinder would join chef
Monica Galetti as the new co-host of
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby. In March 2023, Rinder co-presented
The Holy Land and Us: Our Untold Stories with
Sarah Agha for BBC Two, a two-part documentary exploring the personal stories of families of Jewish and Palestinian heritage. In discussing the programme, he commented "I've made clear that I'm a Zionist". Rinder co-presented with
Philippa Langley a November 2023
Channel 4 programme entitled
Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence, which discussed her theories about the possible survival of the
Princes in the Tower. In May 2024,
BBC Two aired the 3-part series ''Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour
, which has Rinder and Rylan Clark visiting Venice, Florence and Rome, following in the footsteps of Lord Byron and discussing their own broken hearts. Following their BAFTA win for Best Factual Entertainment, Rinder and Clark returned in September 2025 for a second season entitled Rob and Rylan's Passage to India'', with the pair exploring the culture and diversity of India in homage to Rinder's favourite author
E.M. Forster. In July 2024, he presented a three-part Channel 4 documentary
Britain Behind Bars, about the history of Britain's prison system. In July 2025, Channel 5 premiered the three-part series
Rich Times, Poor Times, hosted by Rinder and
Ruth Goodman. The series delves into key historical events through the contrasting lives of the rich and the poor. In 2025, Rinder played the role of 'The Executor' in the Channel 4 reality show
The Inheritance, alongside
Elizabeth Hurley.
Radio Between July and August 2021, Rinder presented a six part series on
Classic FM, titled ''Robert Rinder's Classical Passions
. In October 2021, Rinder became the new permanent host of Drivetime'' every Friday on talkRADIO and talkRADIO TV. Rinder presented the show until September 2022. In 2022, Rinder travelled to the Polish-Ukraine border to report on the crisis for talkRADIO. == Writing ==