What’s your role at MultiStory?
I am a Talent Exec at MultiStory which means that I find all the freelancers to work on our productions, from runners up to Execs, and once they are here I look after them and work hard to make the culture of the company a friendly, welcoming and supportive one. This year we came second in Broadcast’s Best Places to Work survey so hopefully that means we’re doing a good job on that front!
What made you want to get into TV and how did you make that a reality?
I’ve always loved watching TV, but to work in it as a career was suggested to me when I had a job cold calling tractor companies as a student. My boss on that also worked at ITV and suggested I apply for a graduate trainee scheme that he was involved in. That was learning the business side of TV, but I used it as a springboard into making programmes, and then 7 years ago I moved from producing into Talent Managing.
What’s the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome to get to where you are?
I think this answer will come as a surprise to people who know me now, but I would say my shyness. Straight out of University I was incredibly shy and found having to constantly start over again with new people, new offices, new projects very difficult. In the long run though it has been really good for me as now I can chat to anyone, and these days talking to people is the majority of my job.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
So many to choose from… hanging out with the oldest gorilla in the UK, taking Jamie Oliver on a US roadtrip and working with Russell Brand and his many love interests were amazing but I think it has to be founding the ITV trainee researcher scheme, which is now in its second year and has already produced some incredible new talent.
Are there any big learning curves or disaster moments you can look back and laugh about now?
Back in the day I worked on a reality show called ‘The Club’. As the name would suggest it was filmed in a nightclub and I got a call one night at 4am to say we’d been thrown out of the club and could I set up some filming for that day as there was still a programme going out that night. I learnt two lessons from that: 1) turn your phone off at night, and 2) you can turn anything around in 24 hours.
What are your favourite TV shows?
I have really varied tastes and watch everything from Selling Sunset and Love is Blind to documentaries like Once upon a Time in Iraq, Thatcher, and Confessions of a Drugs Mule. As a family we absolutely love In for a Penny. That got us through the dark days of lockdown, I have been known to laugh until I cried at the Sausage roll game…