WOODCUT MEDIA HIRES MERIEL BEALE AS SENIOR EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT

Indie ramps up factual entertainment production

For immediate release:

London/Hampshire, Monday 16^th January 2023 – Indie prodco Woodcut Media has appointed Meriel Beale to the newly-created position of Senior Executive Producer, Factual Entertainment, as the prolific company bolsters its bourgeoning factual slate.

Effective immediately, she will report directly to Woodcut’s CEO, Kate Beal and Head of Development, Jo Enyori.  As part of her remit, Meriel will be responsible for ramping up the prodco’s factual entertainment offerings, focusing on developing original formats and securing commissions within the UK and internationally. With a solid track record as a highly sought after producer, she has special expertise in factual entertainment with a side helping of the comedy factual genre and will also tap into this new area for Woodcut thus further broadening the company’s reach.

A prominent UK producer with an impressive list of credits, Meriel was responsible for producing the original pilot to the hit format Through the Keyhole with Keith Lemon, which was swiftly commissioned, going on to executive produce further series.  She was series producer for Curve Media’s travelogue series Motorhoming with Merton and Webster (Season 2 – C5), and series editor for Nit TV’s (comedian Harry Hill’s prodco) Britain’s Greatest Obsessions (A+E Networks).  Further Series Producer/Exec Producer/Series Editor credits include Hat Trick’s comedy format The Time it Takes (BBC1) with Joe Lycett & Alison Hammond, Pride of Britain Awards ITV with Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Now! (ITV Studios), as well as many other unscripted shows ranging from live studio, documentaries, travelogues, and gameshows.  Over the years she has built strong relationships with talent, working with the likes of Simon Cowell, Ant & Dec, Claudia Winkleman, Joe Lycett, Chris Packham, Dermot O’Leary and more.

A strong champion of inclusivity, she also founded ‘Unseen On Screen’, an anti-bullying project which has had a huge impact on the UK TV industry, working with Bectu to create an anonymous platform for freelancers, and is currently mentoring for Dermot O’Leary’s ‘Learning the Ropes’ project to encourage under-represented people into the industry.

Kate Beal, Founder & CEO, Woodcut Media said: “We are significantly ramping up our factual entertainment offering as our company enters a new phase of growth.  Meriel’s long list of credits and wealth of proven expertise will no doubt make an invaluable contribution as we continue to expand our team and make our mark on the global TV landscape.  In addition, her work championing inclusivity within the industry is hugely impressive and strongly aligns with our values. We are fortunate to welcome her to Woodcut.”

Meriel Beale added: “Woodcut is a very smart and exciting company that I have been following as a fan, and I am grinning with ill-concealed delight at the chance to drive their new fact entertainment strategy and develop new shows together.”

About Woodcut Media:

Created by award-winning producer Kate Beal in 2014 (with offices in London, Hampshire and Bristol), indie prodco Woodcut Media is a female led operation with a diverse team at its core, whose main ethos is to provide an honest and trusted voice – creating programming that tells incredible human stories with creativity, authenticity and care.  As well as being one of the leading true crime doc producers in the UK, Woodcut also specialises in a broad range of standout unscripted content covering factual entertainment, specialist factual, and premium/talent led programming, producing hits such as the long-running series World’s Most Evil Killers and Britain’s Most Evil Killers (7 seasons), and titles such as Fiennes: Return to the Nile with Joseph and Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Cut from a Different Cloth,  Mandela, My Dad and Me, both featuring Idris Elba, Hitler: A Life in Pictures, and Paranormal Captured to name just a few.  Woodcut works with leading broadcasters worldwide – Channel 4, National Geographic, Discovery, SKY, Smithsonian, Amazon and more.  In 2020, Woodcut launched distribution company Woodcut International, as well as Bristol-based production operation Woodcut West which specialises in natural history and high-end specialist factual.  www.woodcutmedia.com