I’m hugely passionate about the entertainment industry and currently lead strategic and content marketing across Fremantle’s global documentaries and entertainment formats slate. I work across the full journey, from early development and positioning through to global trailers, pitches and launch campaigns, helping turn great ideas into programmes that travel and global hits.
How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year!
What are your responsibilities in your current role and what do you love most about your job?
In my current role, I lead strategic and content marketing across Fremantle’s global documentaries and entertainment formats slate. I work across every stage, from shaping ideas and positioning them in early development to delivering trailers, sales materials and launch campaigns, supporting pitches and helping our shows travel and sell around the world.
What I love most is the variety, and working with creative, production, sales and labels to turn a great idea into something with a clear hook, strong identity and genuine global potential. There’s nothing better than seeing that work translate into a successful launch and a format becoming a hit in different territories.
What inspired you to pursue your career path?
With a degree in English Literature and Psychology, I’ve always been fascinated by human behaviour and storytelling. If you’d asked me aged six where I wanted to work, the answer would always have been in the entertainment industry. I imagined becoming a TV presenter or performing in a musical, but after doing work experience at Channel 4 when I was 16, I was completely hooked. From then on, I knew television was where I wanted to be.
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
After work experience at Channel 4 and ITV and working gruelling hours as a production assistant on BBC productions including So You Think You Can Dance and Gok’s Fashion Fix (which I loved!!), I then secured a role as EA to Endemol CEO Ynon Kreiz. It was my foot in the door, giving me invaluable insight into the television business from every angle. But it was the excitement of pitching, selling and bringing ideas to life that really grabbed me.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
For me, excellence in video starts with purpose. It should fulfil the objective it was created for: are we educating, entertaining, or doing both? Like any good trailer, it should answer the brief, communicate the hook clearly and leave you wanting more. If it doesn’t do that, it’s just another piece of content.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
I’m currently really enjoying working on our Global Entertainment slate, where marketing now has a seat at the table from the earliest stages of development. There’s so much value we can add by thinking about the audience, the marketing hook and the wider opportunity from the outset, not just focusing on the idea itself. It also means that every element, from communications and trailers to pitch materials and scripts, is aligned and working from the same creative idea.
Tell us about a moment of recognition that had an effect on you – whether personal or official? What does recognition mean to you and why is it important in our industry?
Recognition matters because we’re often our own worst critics. Having people who champion and believe in you can make a huge difference to your confidence, helping you feel seen, grow and thrive. In a demanding, collaborative industry, it reminds people that their work is valued.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?
I’ve always been a people person, so collaboration is my biggest source of creativity. Ideas often come through conversations, brainstorms and sharing experiences, rarely from sitting alone at a desk trying to force them. Although, inevitably, the best ideas often arrive when you least expect them: in the shower or annoyingly in the middle of the night.
In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
The biggest change is how audiences consume content. There are more choices and platforms than ever, so it’s increasingly difficult to cut through. The key is being clear on why people should care and making sure that comes through in the trailer. Emotion is just as important, and music plays a huge part in creating that. The right track can make something memorable and stay with people long after they’ve watched it.
What excites you about judging for the Telly Awards?
I’m looking forward to discovering and celebrating the incredible work being created across the industry, and seeing the breadth of talent out there.
