The 2023 / 2024 committee is made up of freelance programme makers, just like you. It is a mix of people from Production Management, Editorial and Development roles.
They volunteer their time to represent you and make sure your voice is heard.
Many share officer responsibilities to bring multiple perspectives, and to reflect the ebb-and-flow of production schedules.
Viki Carter
Co-Chair
Sustainability, Learning, Flexible Working, and Health and Safety Officer
Viki is an experienced Production Executive who was inspired to get involved in the Unscripted Branch by a desire to leave the industry in a better place than she found it, and fundamentally change how freelancers are treated.
She is passionate about representing production management and breaking down the barriers between production and editorial. She is also keen to increase training and awareness in the industry and supporting unscripted freelancers to navigate the TV and freelance world. To this end she helped put together the Freelancer Pack and is keen to update/add to it to ensure its a really useful resource for all in our industry.
James Taylor
Co-Chair
Health and Safety Officer
JT is a freelance Series Producer and Series Director. He started out as a Runner and Researcher in live CBBC programmes before moving to Entertainment series like Any Dream Will Do, Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor. More recently he’s been SP’ing on Fact Ents shows like Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars (USA), Britain’s Top Takeaways, and Celebrity Best Home Cook.
He is passionate about freelancer rights and has campaigned on the issue since becoming a founding member and Co-Administrator of grassroots campaign group Viva La PD in 2017.
He is also the Founder and Co-Host of the Telly Talk Podcast for TV Freelancers.
Dudley Cruse
Vice Chair and Branch Secretary
Dudley is a producer in Specialist Factual, having worked in TV for around 15 years. He joined the UTVU and Bectu because he spent too many years complaining about what is wrong with working in TV and decided it's time to do something about it. He has been on the committee since the beginning, three years ago.
Amina Hassam
Women’s and Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Amina is an Assistant Producer working in factual and came originally from a drama background. She re-trained and came to TV as a second career and started out as a researcher working across factual programmes. Most recently her credits include Make Me Prime Minister and Key to a Fortune a new C4 features series.
Amina was a member of BAFTA Crew programme for over 3 years where she produced her own short films which went onto win numerous awards. Now a member of BAFTA Connect she hopes to continue building on her strand of short form film work alongside her broadcast TV credits.
Amina joined the committee to make a positive difference to the negative telly culture and wants to champion women of colour.
Amy Mills
Young Members and Women’s Officer
Amy is an experienced Assistant Producer from Swansea. She’s a passionate documentary storyteller with a huge interest in duty of care not just for those on screen, but our teams behind the camera too.
She’s particularly keen to encourage new talent in the nations/regions to believe there’s a place for them in TV, as well as wanting to ensure the industry steps up its game in retaining the many talented women working in Unscripted.
She’s joined the UTVU to be a small part in helping the industry be a safe, enjoyable place to build an exciting career.
Celine Fitzmaurice
Disability Officer
Celine is a specialist factual SP with 15 years experience in the industry. Always a freelancer, she's very aware of how precarious the industry can be and how that leaves little space for being aware of disabled talent. Celine is keen to reframe the attitude to the workplace and create an inclusive space for all of the talented individuals in tv.
Dean Webster
Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Dean is Head of Development at Ten66 Television, working in factual and entertainment television. He started as a Creative Access intern at Shine Group in 2013 working in Shine's international formats, distribution and marketing departments before moving into production. Since then, he's worked on shows like Come Dine With Me, Sarah Beeny's Renovate Don't Relocate and Coach Trip: Road to Ibiza, and worked in development for Barcroft Studios, Chalkboard TV and MTV International. He specialises in youth skewing content and recently created BBC Three reality dating show 'Love In The Flesh' and directed BBC Three documentaries 'Is Uni Racist?' and 'Music's Dirty Secrets: Women Fight Back'.
Hannah Beaugeard
Comms, Bullying & Harassment, LGBT Officer
Hannah is a BAFTA-winning Production & Development executive specialising in short-form content documentaries and Factual Entertainment.
Previously Hannah was commissioner, Head of Acquisitions and Head of Production for a national charity broadcaster. During this time, Hannah ran a short-form documentary funding initiative; funding, and training underrepresented diverse filmmakers.
Hannah has been working in development, creating high-performing global formats for such names as ITV Studios, Potato, BBC, Fremantle, and Hat trick. She also worked on shows like Mastermind, Tipping Point, and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road Show. She recently finished as PD for a Channel 5 series and works at Future Studios.
Helen Landeau
Production Management Officer
Helen is an experienced Line Producer in Factual and Specialist Factual. She is the Committee Member as the Production Management Officer ensuring that Production Management have representation for Unscripted TV.
Jude Winstanley
Learning Officer
Jude is a freelance Line Producer working in entertainment and factual entertainment, industry event producer and trainer. Most recent productions include the live daily BBC1 show, 'Morning Live' and ITV's comedy panel show 'Sorry, I Didn't Know'.
She has a keen interest in helping people new to TV navigate working as a freelancer, she regularly is asked to contribute to industry working environment developments and she actively encourages people to consider working in the production management side of the industry.
Lucy Gastor
Bullying & Harassment Officer and Co-Mental Health Officer
Lucy is a Producer/Director and Edit Producer in Factual TV with 15 years in the industry. She is committed to improving working conditions within Unscripted, particularly for those with hidden disabilities.
Meriel Beale
Bullying & Harassment Officer, Women’s Officer, and Sustainability Officer
Meriel is a freelance series producer in unscripted TV. Meriel understands the pressures and stresses of freelance life and wants to transform the way we work behind the camera. A campaigner for anti bullying and workplace inclusion, she came to Bectu wanting to raise awareness of the extent of bullying and harassment in the industry, and subsequently launched the #UnseenOnScreen campaign. Meriel regularly talks to peers in need of advice on bullying and harassment & speaks on industry panels.
Nick Frend
Co-Mental Health Officer
Nick is a freelance Series Director and PD with over 20 years of Broadcast television experience. Originally from Birmingham, now living in London, Nick has filmed all over the world. He started out in educational programming before moving into factual and factual entertainment.
His roles include PD’ing a series for National Geographic, Lost Treasures of Egypt, Building Giants for Discovery, and The Apprentice for the BBC. More recently he’s Series Directed The Great British Dig as well as a new Channel 4 property series with Hugh Dennis.
Tom Dix
LGBTQ+ & Co-Young Members Officer
Tom is a assistant producer based in Cardiff with 5 years of experience in unscripted TV, mainly working within factual-entertainment and documentaries on shows like Crimewatch Live and has recently been successful in being accepted on to the BBC Studios AP programme for 2023/2024.
Alongside his work he is also extremely passionate about making the industry as accessible, inclusive and safe to newcomers as possible and also hosts a podcast where he chats to people from all corners of television about what it is they do.
As part of the UTVU for the next year he hopes to further help the industry become a better place to work for all.