Meet the eight Producers and Series Producers taking part in the third edition of Factual Fast Track Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Factual Fast Track is a reputation-building career development programme that fast tracks established, ambitious, Producers and Series Producers to move up the career ladder and work on larger scale and higher budget productions.
This programme is funded by BBC, Channel 4, Screen Scotland and Northern Ireland Screen.
Angus Gibson
After a brief stint in development at TwoFour’s London office, Angus has worked in the Northern Irish TV industry since 2014. Now an established Shooting PD with a focus on Prime-Time Observational Documentary, Angus also works across other genres including Fact Ent, Daytime and Reality.
Angus loves the process of shaping a gripping narrative out of real life stories, and wears his role as a regional producer as a badge of pride. Having previously worked with UK Indies such as Blast! Films, Shine TV and Fremantle, he is currently directing a three-part obs doc series in his hometown of Ballymena for Below the Radar.
Ben Jamieson
Ben Jamieson is an experienced P/D & Edit Producer who has worked for major UK and international broadcasters and SVODs such as Amazon, Netflix, and Red Bull TV. He has a strong track record of delivering compelling content across a range of genres, including Observational Documentary, Science, and Specialist Factual.
As well as working on established formats such as “Grand Designs”, “Our Yorkshire Farm” and “Escape to the Chateau”, Ben is also adept at shaping new series having worked on a variety of new commissions including; “Secrets of the Superfactories” (Discovery), “Grand Prix Driver” (Amazon) and the RTS NI nominated “The Hotel People” (BBC).
Claire Tippett
Originally from South Yorkshire, Glasgow is now home to factual Producer Claire Tippett, who has worked in the indie sector here for 15 years. As a freelancer Claire has produced specialist factual, factual entertainment and observational documentary content for major broadcasters. She joined Red Sky Productions in 2019 where she pivoted between production and development; shooting and producing content for the BBC and Channel 4, and winning commissions, most notably “Saved and Remade”, a 20-part factual entertainment series for BBC Two. Her most recent credit: maternity leave (and most challenging production to date!)
Drea McGurk
Drea is a Glasgow based Series Producer with over 20 years experience in observational documentaries and Fact Ent formats. She is experienced in originating and developing ideas to the point of commission and has produced and directed on award winning, popular brands such as “The Apprentice”, “Secret Millionaire”, “Wife Swap” and “Location, Location, Location”. Her senior and series producer credits include “Puppy School” for Channel 4, BBC Scotland’s “Tiny Lives” and “It’s Me or The Dog” for Discovery. She is currently working at Firecrest on Series 6 of “Paramedics on Scene”.
Holly Ritchie
Holly is a multi-genre Producer who was staff at the BBC for 17 years where she worked across Radio, News, Digital, Children’s, Learning, Factual and Entertainment. Since leaving the BBC in 2021, she has worked for Indies in the UK and US including Done+Dusted, Remarkable, Rockerdale Studios, IWC and Raise the Roof.
Holly spent most of 2023 and 2024 developing and series producing “The Assembly” for BBC One, a TV special that championed diversity and inclusion on screen and behind the cameras and she is passionate about increasing diversity, inclusion and equity across TV.
Jo Pagan
Jo has worked in the television industry for over 20 years, starting as a journalist in Glasgow before moving to London as a factual producer for GMTV and LWT.
Returning to Scotland four years later, she produced a Scottish BAFTA-winning documentary and was nominated for another series she made a few years later. Jo is proud to be based in Scotland and has worked with many leading indies and broadcasters. Most recently, Jo directed the first of a three-part series, “Street Gangs”, with Tern TV for the BBC.
Liza Chambers
Liza has been working as a PD since 2017 and a Series Producer since 2021. She moved back to Northern Ireland in 2020 after working in Manchester and London for ten years. She loves making documentary and fact ent programming, and is keen to see more production of a larger scale in the regions. She is currently working on an 8-part series for BBC Northern Ireland developed by Afro-Mic Productions. She has previously worked for indies across the UK including Love Productions, Tern Television, Rare TV and Waddell Media.
Shruti Rao
Shruti is an accomplished P/D and Edit Producer. Starting her career in 2006 as a set design and costume runner in Bollywood, she took a leap of faith and moved 4500 miles to pursue her career in the UK. Shruti has since produced and directed shows across various genres for BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, and Sky Arts, including “Prisons: First and Last 24 hours”, “Class of Mum and Dad”, and “Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out”. Recently, she completed her own commission for BBC’s “Our Lives” strand and is currently working as a senior producer on the BBC’s landmark observational series “This Farming Life.”