What’s your role at MultiStory?
Casting Assistant Producer and recent PD on Come Dine With Me.
What made you want to get into TV and how did you make that a reality?
I’ve always had an interest in TV since I was younger. I used to watch Home Improvement religiously and wrote myself into the show. I really loved comedies when I was younger and watched shows like Bottom, The Young Ones, League of Gentlemen and Smack the Pony, and I think this really sparked my interest in funny TV segments and funny characters.
However I ended up doing a degree in Animal Science at Reading University because I THOUGHT I wanted to be a vet, however at UNI I was mainly in the drama society and wrote a couple of sketches with my housemate (who is actually successful writer now) at the time for the Reading University Original Plays. After University, I did a couple of stints as a MUA, decided to work at Edinburgh Fringe and during this period applied for MaMa Youth Programme and it went from there!
What’s the biggest hurdle you’ve had to overcome to get to where you are?
I think the biggest challenge was during my earlier years. Having zero experience in the industry or any formal training meant I had to work fast and learn as much as I could on the job to bring myself up to speed.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Going to the RTS, Come Dine With Me Pros was nominated. It was great to see the show my researcher and I cast get some laughs at the event.
What was your biggest “pinch me’ moment?
Probably meeting Danny John-Jules, who played Cat on Red Dwarf. I used to watch it with my Mum when I was little so it was pretty crazy meeting him in real life.
Are there any big learning curves or disaster moments you can look back and laugh about now?
After completing the MaMa Youth Programme, I got a researcher internship at Shine TV on Ashley Banjo’s Secret Street Crew. I was super excited and one of my first tasks was outreach, so emailing as many organisations as possible. I wrote up the email and started sending them out, I must have sent 100s of emails! I decided to check the email AFTER they had been sent and realised the subject of the email sent “Ashley Banjo’s Secret Street SCREW is casting again”. I literally ran outside, tears in my eyes and called my mentor who couldn’t stop laughing. Always check things before you send them!
What are your favourite TV shows?
You, American Horror Story, People Just Do Nothing and anything True Crime