What’s your role at MultiStory?
Production Manager
What made you want to get into TV and how did you make that a reality?
I studied Sociology, Culture and Media at University and we went on trips to various television studios as part of the course and it looked like a fun and rewarding industry to be a part of so once I graduated, TV was where I wanted to be!
I managed to get a couple of day running jobs with Talkback Thames and lucky for me I had a wonderful family friend who worked at ITV and had got me running jobs on The Chase and a few one off music specials. Off the back of those jobs I interviewed for the entertainment runner role at ITV, got the job and the rest is history!
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
There’s been a number of highlights in my career so far but special mention needs to go to the wonderful Come Dine With Me! I’ve worked on this legendary show A LOT during my time at ITV and for good reason. It’s such a wonderful show to make, with amazing teams and it still has such a huge following even after nearly 2 decades since it first began. I’ve worked every production role possible on this show, worked on all the various formats and have just shy of 800 episodes under my belt!
What was your biggest “pinch me’ moment?
I think my biggest pinch me moment was working on The Royal Variety – 100 Years.
It took place at The Royal Albert Hall, which is such a beautiful venue to be working in and having lunch at the top of the auditorium listening to the orchestra rehearse on the stage below was incredibly special.
Queen Elizabeth II attended this Royal Variety and I somehow managed to knock into her majesty as she was making her way onto stage to greet the show’s performers. Flustered and embarrassed at being so clumsy and it being the Queen(!) I immediately apologised and to my utter surprise she said sorry back! How very British of us!
Are there any big learning curves or disaster moments you can look back and laugh about now?
I think ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ is a very fitting mantra to live by in the world of TV.
Our world can be crazy and unpredictable at times and so a calm head and the ability to be flexible when last minute changes occur is key. Disasters happen, but somehow you always manage to divert and plough on through. Nine times out of ten you always look back on a chaotic production with rose tinted glasses and wonder what all the stress was about. The wonders of being in the thick of it compared to signing off on delivery haha!
What are your favourite TV shows?
My favourite go to shows are mostly comedy’s: Gavin & Stacey, The Inbetweeners and Motherland are the ones repeated the most. I absolutely loved the recent Netflix adaptation of David Nicholl’s ‘One Day’. Loved the book and thought the series did a beautiful job of bringing the story to the small screen.
Trigger Point and Blue Lights are also recent faves.
And obviously goes without saying that Come Dine With Me will always be a firm favourite!