Explore every episode of the podcast TellyCast: The content industry podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thom Gulseven on Strong Watch, Channel 4 and the Future of Social Video | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:48:29 | |
Strong Watch Studios co-founder Thom Gulseven joins the show to talk about building one of the UK’s most exciting digital-first production companies. He reveals how lessons learned at LADbible shaped the launch of Strong Watch with Ben Powell-Jones, how their channel People Are Deep became an award-winning social video hit, and why Channel 4 trusted them to run its new comedy channel A Comedy Thing. Thom also shares his take on the next phase of the creator economy, the rise of streamer-led digital content, and how traditional media can adapt to the social video revolution. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| TellyCast at MIPCOM (Part 3) - Warren Brown, Joe Churchill, Luci Sanan, Robbie Lyle & more | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:47:54 | |
In the final TellyCast MIPCOM special from Cannes, we hear from the people shaping the digital-first future of TV. Fan Club’s Joe Churchill talks about brands becoming broadcasters and his upcoming session at the TellyCast Digital Content Forum. Luci Sanan from Cowshed Ventures reveals her new YouTube adventure joint venture with Propagate Content. EndemolShine Nederland’s Sil Geurtsen explains how hit format Let’s Play Ball made the leap from YouTube to TV, and Arsenal Fan TV’s Robbie Lyle shares how he built a global fan-led media empire. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| 5 Things Every Content Producer Needs To Know About Brand-funded Content | 04 Sep 2025 | 00:49:07 | |
Branded entertainment is booming - but how can producers really work with brands? In this TellyCast episode, Justin Crosby talks to brand funded content specialist Charlie Read, founder of Upstream, about the five things every content producer needs to know about brand-funded content. From understanding business outcomes and audience insight to building IP with brands, learning their language, and shifting from interruption to engagement, this episode is a practical guide to the fast-growing branded content space. Charlie's Story of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/aug/28/bland-easy-to-follow-for-fans-of-everything-what-has-the-netflix-algorithm-done-to-our-films Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 150 - Tilt Media's Chris Hilton & United Heroes' Pavel Cherepin | 13 Jul 2023 | 00:36:03 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 149 - Conecta Fiction & Entertainment Special | 06 Jul 2023 | 00:41:29 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter We’re in Toledo for this week’s show as over a thousand TV executives from Spain and around the world gathered for the 7th edition of Conecta Fiction and Entertainment. And we catch up with Beatrice Cavanillas, one of the senior team who organises Conecta Fiction & Entertainment. They're in conversation with TellyCast's Justin Crosby. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 148 - Banijay's Carlotta Rossi Spencer & WARC's James McDonald | 29 Jun 2023 | 00:45:38 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter We’re back in Cannes for the Lions this week as the world’s advertising and media industries took over the city for the Festival of Creativity. Our guests are James McDonald Director of Data, Intelligence and Forecasting for WARC - The World Advertising Research Center - and Carlotta Rossi Spencer Banijay’s Group's Head of Branded Content Business. In conversation with TellyCast's Justin Crosby. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 147 - Sunnyside of the Doc - The Octopus Strategy panel | 22 Jun 2023 | 00:43:29 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter The panelists are Sandrine Roustan, Managing Director of Belgian public service broadcaster RTBF’s Content Division. Future Studios’ Chief Creative Officer John Farrar, Roxane Rous, co Founder of French audiovisual group StudioFact and Thomas Arbez who leads Creation & Content at INA, the French National Audiovisual Institute - the repository of French radio and audiovisual archives. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 146 - Nelonen Media's Lasse Nikkari | 15 Jun 2023 | 00:34:51 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 145 - BECTU/ UTVU's Viki Carter and James Taylor | 08 Jun 2023 | 00:42:11 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter This week I'm chatting with Viki Carter and James Taylor, TV freelancers and co chairs of the UTVU, the unscripted TV Union and part of Bectu, to discuss the issues facing unscripted freelancers and search for some solutions. In conversation with TellyCast's Justin Crosby. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 144 - Talented People's Kimberly Godbolt | 25 May 2023 | 00:51:29 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TellyCast website Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 143 - Sunny Side of the Doc's Mathieu Bejot | 18 May 2023 | 00:21:54 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter We’re just 4 weeks away from this year’s Sunny Side of the Doc in La Rochelle, France. On the show this week, we chat with Mathieu Bejot, Director of Strategy & Development at the international documentary industry’s premiere event to find out what delegates can expect at this years edition. Presented by Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. https://www.bbcstudiossocial.com/ Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 142 - Small World IFT's Tim Crescenti | 11 May 2023 | 00:59:44 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter On the show this week, we chat with one of TV’s best known executives specialising in the buying and selling of TV formats. From discovering format juggernaut Dragons’ Den in 2002 to his more recent conversion of Korea’s Grandpa Over Flowers into the NBC top-rated Better Late Than Never, Small World TFI’s Tim Cresenti has been well and truly at the centre of the world’s formats business, with a global reputation for finding those hidden gems in unexplored markets. Presented by Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 141 - PACT Content 3.0 panel | 04 May 2023 | 00:54:27 | |
The event was called Beyond the Box - Content 3.0 and designed to provide insights into digital content opportunities for TV producers. It was recorded at the Everyman Cinema in London’s King’s Cross last week and we’re playing back the panel recording for this week’s show. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Dhanny Joshi on Building Big Deal Films and the Future of Social Video | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:48:49 | |
Big Deal Films co-founder Dhanny Joshi joins Justin Crosby to share how he turned a call centre hustle into a BAFTA-winning indie. They discuss breaking through with Dreaming Whilst Black, navigating the commissioning crisis, and why digital-first, talent-led content is the future of TV. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 140 - Roku's Tom Price | 27 Apr 2023 | 00:31:49 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Tom discusses streaming, FAST channels, how he’s planning to help build the business in the UK and the latest deals the company has struck. Presented by Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Leeds. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 139 - MIPTV 2023 Special | 20 Apr 2023 | 01:19:58 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter And on this week’s show we're joined by producers Adrian Woolfe from Studio 1 and Sydney Gallonde from Make it Happen Studio. We also chat with Rakuten TV boss Cedric Dufuor and Banijay’s Shaun Keeble on the buzzy FAST channel space. And we catch up with ITV Studios’ Ruth Berry and RX France’s Lucy Smith with a round up from the market. Presented by Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 138 - Argonon's James Burstall | 30 Mar 2023 | 00:42:37 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 137 - Series Mania Forum 2023 | 23 Mar 2023 | 00:41:48 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 136 - MIPTV 2023 Preview with Lucy Smith | 16 Mar 2023 | 00:22:53 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter It’s that time of the year for many in the TV industry to start turning their minds to Cannes as MIPTV is just over a month away. This week we’re previewing the reimagined 4 day event and reveal what TV execs can expect on la Croisette in April as RX France Entertainment's Director of Entertainment and MIPTV Director Lucy Smith sat down for a chat with Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 135 - Fremantle's Jens Richter, WeltN24's Ulrike Brandt & Karsten Schrader & Quintus Studios' Gerrit Kemming | 09 Mar 2023 | 00:48:19 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TV industry programme buyers from around the world gathered in London last week for the latest iteration of the London Screenings showcase event. The world’s biggest international distributors showed off their latest programming catalogues across over 20 lavish events across the week. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 134 - Harry Potter's James & Oliver Phelps and Dash Pictures' Daniel Sharp | 02 Mar 2023 | 00:41:56 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter We have a double dose of Harry Potter magic on this week’s show as we welcome James and Oliver Phelps, famously known for portraying the mischievous Weasley twins in the film franchise together with Dash Pictures boss Daniel Sharp. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 133 - Monrae Management's Elspeth Rae | 23 Feb 2023 | 00:33:00 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter The commercial opportunities for content creators and IP are growing relentlessly as TV networks seek to bring young audiences to their channels. Brands, too are desperate to communicate with youth audiences via the talent they follow and the platforms they understand. Elspeth's Story of the Week TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 132 - Keller Noll's Dave Noll | 16 Feb 2023 | 00:48:08 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 131 - Brandon B | 09 Feb 2023 | 00:39:28 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Endangered Species? Ofcom’s Cristina Nicolotti Squires on Saving Public Service Media | 24 Jul 2025 | 00:36:15 | |
This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Ofcom’s Director of Broadcasting and Media, Cristina Nicolotti Squires, for a deep dive into the regulator’s urgent six-point action plan to save public service media in the digital-first era. With younger audiences flocking to YouTube, Netflix and TikTok, and PSBs losing share, is the UK’s broadcast model reaching a breaking point? Christina unpacks the tough questions: securing YouTube prominence, the future of Freeview, public funding for news and kids content, and why media literacy and strategic collaboration are vital to survival. Essential listening for anyone working in public service, digital-first or social video production. Includes key insights on:
Listen now and stay ahead of the changing media landscape. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 130 - MyCo's Phil McKenzie | 02 Feb 2023 | 00:38:39 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter My guest on this week’s TellyCast is Phil McKenzie, Chief Content Officer at MyCo, the Web3 platform formerly known as MContent. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 129 - Realscreen Summit 2023 Special | 26 Jan 2023 | 01:03:40 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Austin, Texas. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 128 - Focus on Austria & Realscreen Summit preview | 19 Jan 2023 | 01:25:31 | |
We kick off the New Year with a country focus on Austria, and I’m in Vienna for CIMIx, the industry event organised by trade promotion organisation Advantage Austria. My guests on this week’s show are Dinah Czezik-Muller Co-CEO at factual indie Terra Mater Studios, Philipp Böechheimer Managing Director at CANAL+ Austria, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, Chairman of the Austrian professional Association for the film and music industry, Isabelle Welter of drama indie Whee Film and consultant Tony Gregory as we delve into the recent changes and opportunities in the Austrian content industry. Plus, we catch up with Realscreen’s Barry Walsh on what to expect at Realscreen Summit in Austin Texas, where we’ll also be recording a show next week. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Vienna. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 127 - Dr Alex Connock | 15 Dec 2022 | 01:00:17 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TellyCast website Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 126 - TellyCast Digital Content Forum Special | 08 Dec 2022 | 01:06:02 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter During a sold out day of discussion and debate with the industry’s digital-first leaders, Andy Fry caught up with ITVX’s Craig Morris, UTA’s Sam Glynne, Taf Makopa from Wall of Entertainment, The Battersea Poltergeist creator Danny Robins and Ash Greenwood from Pinterest. Introduced by Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Glasgow. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 125 - Science Congress special | 01 Dec 2022 | 00:32:52 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Glasgow. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 124 - BBC Studios' Chris Allen & Cowshed's Matt Ford | 24 Nov 2022 | 01:15:53 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Guests are Head of Digital Development at BBC Studios Chris Allen and Managing Director at Cowshed Social Matt Ford in conversation with Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. TellyCast website Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 123 - Science Congress' Paul Lewis & Banijay's Amelia Hartley | 17 Nov 2022 | 00:42:37 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 122 - Broadcasting and diversity expert Aaqil Ahmed | 10 Nov 2022 | 00:55:51 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Our guest on this week’s show is Aaqil Ahmed, former BBC and Channel 4 commissioner and broadcasting and diversity expert as we talk religion and diversity in TV. In conversation with Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London and Cannes. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 121 - LADbible's Thom Gulseven, BBC Studios' Helen Pendlebury & Legendary TV's Anne Thomopoulos | 03 Nov 2022 | 01:08:02 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Guests on this week's show are BBC Studios Director of Digital and Business Development Helen Pendlebury, LADbible’s Director of Creative Strategy Thom Gulseven and in the last of our MIPCOM interviews we catch up with Legendary TV’s Anne Thomopoulos. We talk the BBC at 100, changes in the digital content space and Legendary TV's new drama based on a hit manga series. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Click here for £20 off ticket price for the TellyCast Digital Content Forum sponsored by BBC Studios Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Taf Makopa: Creator-Led Formats & The Future of Social Video | 17 Jul 2025 | 00:48:48 | |
This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Taf Makopa, founder of Mako Studios and one of the most exciting new forces in digital production. Taf reveals his first slate of four brand-funded shows with BoohooMan — including Are You Even Real?, a dating series hosted by UK rap icon Chip, and Luke Comes Home, a Luke Littler documentary featuring Angry Ginge. In this candid conversation, Taf unpacks why talent-first formats are the future, how brand-creator partnerships are evolving, and why social video is no longer just “digital TV” - it’s its own creative economy. Expect honest reflections on leaving Wall of Entertainment, the business of making hit social formats on a budget, and how Mako Studios plans to shake up the industry. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 120 - MIPCOM & MIPJUNIOR 2022 Special (Part Two) | 27 Oct 2022 | 00:50:48 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Part Two of the TellyCast MIPCOM 2002 Special. Guests this week are Bavaria Fiction’s Marcus Ammon, Ilke Hynnenen from Ilke's Creative Studio, Ryff’s Mar Duermeier and Fotini Paraskakis from Empire of Arkadia. They're all in conversation with Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Cannes. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 119 - MIPCOM & MIPJUNIOR 2022 Special (Part One) | 20 Oct 2022 | 01:06:01 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter We’re back in Cannes as over 10,000 global content industry execs gathered for MIPJUNIOR and MIPCOM. My guests this week include ITV Studios’ Ruth Berry, Banijay’s Delphine Dumont, The Wit’s Virginia Mouseler, Moe Bennani from Dreamspark and the Backstreet Boys’ AJ McClean and Mipcom’s Lucy Smith. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Cannes. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 118 - MIPCOM/ MIPJUNIOR 2022 Preview | 13 Oct 2022 | 00:59:53 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TellyCast insta TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 117 - Intertalent's Alex Segal | 05 Oct 2022 | 00:49:42 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Click here for £20 off ticket price for the TellyCast Digital Content Forum sponsored by BBC Studios Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 116 - A+E Networks' Heather Jones & The Sidemen manager Jordan Schwarzenberger | 29 Sep 2022 | 01:34:02 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter TellyCast insta TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 115 - Banijay's Lucas Green and RX Global's Lucy Smith | 22 Sep 2022 | 01:00:03 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter This week's show features Banijay's Global Head of Content Operations Lucas Green and RX Global's Lucy Smith in conversation Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. Lucy gives us the lowdown on how this year's 'supersized' MIPCOM is shaping up whilst Lucas talks 'Survivor' on the mega format's 25th anniversary and reflects on the impact Queen Elizabeth II had on the UK TV industry. The Royal Family TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast YouTube TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 114 - Broadcast's Chris Curtis | 15 Sep 2022 | 00:41:54 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter In a special episode of TellyCast, Broadcast editor in chief Chris Curtis discusses the UK TV industry's reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth II and its possible future implications with Boom! PR's Justin Crosby.
TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 113 - King of Sunshine's Sohail Shah & Rockerdale's Stu Richards | 08 Sep 2022 | 01:15:29 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter This week's show features King of Sunshine Productions boss Sohail Shah and Rockerdale Studios' CEO Stu Richards in conversation with Boom! PR's Justin Crosby. Sohail's Story of the Week TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Music by David Turner, lunatrax. Recorded in lockdown March 2020 by David Turner, Will Clark and Justin Crosby. Voiceover by Megan Clark. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 112 - Channel 4's Lee McMurray | 01 Sep 2022 | 00:46:50 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter As a series producer and exec, Lee launched successful returning series on Channel 4, such as Secret Eaters and What Happens in Kavos. He was also responsible for a range of other popular factual shows, including The Naked Choir with Gareth Malone on BBC2 and the Grierson-nominated Life is Toff for BBC3, which brought the Fulford family back to our screens. Other SP and producer credits straddle the popular factual genre, comprising everything from Loose Women, to Castaway, to Bizarre E.R. After joining Channel 4 as a commissioning editor in formats in 2017, Lee moved across to the factual entertainment department during Ian Katz’s restructure of the commissioning teams. He has overseen continuing brands such as Made in Chelsea on e4, as well as launching The Sex Clinic on the youth-oriented channel. For Channel 4, he currently looks after Married at First Sight, which will be coming back for a creatively refreshed fifth series. His original commissions include Famous & Fighting Crime, Celebrity Call Centre, Charlotte Church: My Family & Me, The Posh Frock Shop, It’s Grime Up North and A Very British Sex Shop. Lee’s Story of the Week TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 111 - Edinburgh TV Festival Special | 25 Aug 2022 | 00:40:55 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Edinburgh TV Festival TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Edinburgh. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| How Komi Group’s Andrew Trotman Is Scaling the Creator Economy | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:45:35 | |
This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Andrew Trotman, CEO and founder of Komi Group, to explore how one of the UK’s most forward-thinking creator businesses is reshaping the digital content landscape. From building data-driven social brands to launching creator-led businesses, Andrew shares how Komi Group went from a horse racing tipster account to a global social video powerhouse producing 4.5 billion views a month. We dive into the realities of creator burnout, why Facebook might be poised for a comeback, and how Andrew is backing creators with rapid payments, platform diversification strategies, and mental health support. With 40+ owned brands, a proprietary data stack, and a growing talent division, this is a masterclass in the modern creator economy from someone who’s building it from the inside. Recorded in London and produced by Spirit Studios. Listen now to discover how the digital-first game is changing — and how to win it. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 110 - Edinburgh TV Festival Preview | 18 Aug 2022 | 00:34:41 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter My guest this week is Stewart Clarke, creative director at Edinburgh TV Festival, ahead of the UK TV industry's biggest event next week. Amazingly, this is Stewart's first live event in his leadership role at the festival, despite being in his post since early 2019. Edinburgh TV Festival TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in London. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 109 - Cannes Lions Special | 30 Jun 2022 | 00:45:00 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter My guests this week helping me make sense of Cannes Lions from a content industry perspective are Julian Newby and Andy Fry from the Cannes Lions Daily magazine and Alex Morris, director of LADstudios at LADbible. Apple's 'Escape the Office' TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in Cannes. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||
| Episode 108 - SVT's Mikael Osterby & SBS's Krishan Arora | 23 Jun 2022 | 00:40:09 | |
Sign up to the free TellyCast newsletter Guests are Mikael Osterby from Swedish public broadcaster SVT and Krishan Arora, consultant for SBS Australia. TellyCast is edited by Ian Chambers. Recorded in La Rochelle. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets for the Digital Content Forum Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos | |||