Two minutes with...

Tell us a little about yourself 

Originally from Oxfordshire and having also lived in a variety of other cities, I now reside in sunny Ilkley. I’m often found channeling Cathy and roaming the Moors or reading, attempting to finish writing my long awaited first novel, going to gigs or meeting friends for absolutely-just-the-one-tipple. I also feed the birds and squirrels in my garden far better than I do my own family. Oh and of course, I LOVE TV.

Can you tell us a little about your career so far?

I spent years as a project manager for the government, project managing national IT systems. As well, as opening up both the largest Pret a Manger in London and the first one outside of London. My last job before working at ITV was setting up and managing an active travel hub, which was the brainchild of Mayor Tracy Brabin. Having obtained a degree in Media at university, I always wanted to work in TV, but there weren’t as many jobs available in Yorkshire in the 90s! However, here I am now as the Communications Exec for CS&D.

Up until January, you worked in Channel Ops, can you tell us what an average day/week looks like?

A TV scheduler's day is a busy one. My primary role was to build the schedule for ITV4, ensuring its accuracy and the correct placement of commercials. As ITV4 features a significant amount of live and pre-recorded sports, I collaborated closely with producers and editorial teams regarding  break timings and any potential restrictions. This often involved a degree of negotiation to balance programme needs with commercial regulations. Additionally, I was responsible for managing last-minute schedule changes promptly.

I then worked on the downloads side of scheduling where I was responsible for producing the various contingencies for live sport and ensuring we were all ready to go ahead with the transmission of the daily schedule.

What has been the highlight of working at ITV?

I was lucky to attend the Making What Matters event, which was fun and informative and most importantly I got to meet Dermot O’Leary. Some say I accosted him, I say I gifted him with a valuable moment to spend time with a fellow colleague. Lucky Dermot. Also, Will Best licked my notebook, but maybe that’s a different story for a different time.

And finally, tell us something not everyone would know about you…

I’m deaf. Having lost my hearing through pregnancy, I feel passionate about equality for people with disabilities and have written an article for MyITV that provides advice on how to make the workplace more inclusive for your deaf and hard of hearing colleagues. I'm really looking forward to helping the Able Network with their comms shortly.