TellyCast: The content industry podcast

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...

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 a...

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.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by social video sensation Hayley Morris. Known for her viral vertical comedies and brilliant multi-character sketches, Hayley shares her journey from early YouTube experiments to creating hit series like ‘The V Hotel’ and her growing portfolio of self-funded short films. She reveals how she built an audience of over nine million followers, the creative process behind her weekly videos...

On this week’s TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by two of the UK’s most respected TV leaders – Jimmy Mulville, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions, and Peter Fincham, co-founder of Expectation and former controller of BBC One and director of television at ITV. 

They discuss the health of the UK TV industry, the impact of YouTube, the future of comedy, and the challenges facing independent producers today. Jimmy and Peter also refl...

This week on TellyCast, Justin is reporting from Conecta Fiction & Entertainment in Cuenca, Spain — the heart of Hispanic TV content innovation. He’s joined by two of Banijay’s top executives shaping the future of unscripted in Latin America: Frank Scheuermann, Chief Content Officer of Endemol Shine Boomdog, and Marie Leguizamo, Managing Director of Banijay Mexico and US Hispanic.

Frank unpacks why long-running formats are domin...

The TellyCast Digital Video Awards have arrived! In this special episode, we bring you all the highlights from the first-ever awards show dedicated to the social video and digital-first industry, held at The Londoner Hotel in London’s Leicester Square.

Hosted by Max Fosh, the night celebrated the creators, producers, studios and platforms redefining what video content means in the digital age. Hear from winners including Channel 4.0...

Sam Pearson, Digital Commissioning Editor at Hearst Networks UK, joins Justin Crosby to reveal how the broadcaster is reshaping its digital-first strategy across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and AVOD. From breakout social formats like History Crush and Unbreakable to monetising archive content and launching purposeful true crime programming, Hearst is evolving with the audience.

We go behind the scenes on the company’s c...

He’s the YouTube creator who trained a horse to bet on racing and tricked Heathrow passengers with a fake “Welcome to Luton” sign — now Max Fosh joins TellyCast to reveal how he’s built a global creator business rooted in originality, lean production, and long-form storytelling.

In this week’s episode, Max shares the inside story of his rise from Facebook vlogger to international touring comedian and digital video pioneer. He explai...

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Amie Parker-Williams, Director of Commissioning & Production at MTV Entertainment Group International. 

Amie shares how MTV and Comedy Central are evolving their commissioning models to embrace a bold digital-first approach. She breaks down how her team balances in-house production with collaborations with indies, the importance of commissioning content that tackles social issue...

In this powerful episode of TellyCast, host Justin Crosby sits down with Danny Fenton, CEO and founder of Zig Zag, to discuss the turbulent journey his company has faced over the past 12 months. From insolvency to reinvention, Danny opens up about the personal and professional challenges of leading an independent production company through financial crisis, the impact of industry upheavals, and the lessons he’s learned along the wa...

Top digital commissioners from MTV, Channel 4, and A+E Networks reveal exactly what they’re looking for - and what they’re not - when commissioning social video content.

Recorded live at the TellyCast How to Make Money in Digital event, this expert panel explores How to Work with Digital Commissioners and What They Want. Featuring Amie Parker-Williams (MTV and Comedy Central), Sam Pearson (Hearst Networks), Evie Buckley (Channel 4.0...

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Channel 4’s Digital Commissioning Editor and Channel 4.0 lead, Evie Buckley. 

In a wide-ranging and insightful chat, Evie reveals her latest exclusive digital commissions, shares her evolving commissioning strategy, and explains how data, talent, and creator-first thinking are transforming Channel 4’s approach to digital content. They also explore how traditional producers can break...

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Eline van der Velden, founder and CEO of Particle 6 – an AI-first production company shaking up the world of digital video. With a background in both physics and performance, Eline shares how her unique career path has shaped Particle 6’s groundbreaking approach to content creation using artificial intelligence.

From slashing production costs by 60% to creating AI-generated scripted...

In this episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Martin Trickey, Managing Director of Zoo 55, ITV Studios’ digital-first division. With a career spanning social, gaming, and streaming, Martin shares his insights into how audience behaviour is shifting, what’s driving the rise of FAST channels, and why major studios are fully embracing YouTube. He also reveals Zoo 55’s vision for ITV Studios’ vast content library, how they...

Buy tickets to the TellyCast How to Make Money in Digital event

Trigger Happy TV became a cultural phenomenon when it hit screens 25 years ago, introducing a new style of anarchic, surreal hidden-camera comedy that still resonates today. In this special episode of TellyCast, Dom Joly joins Justin Crosby to look back at the madness of making the show, the secrets behind its success, and why you can’t make comedy by committee.

With Tri...

This week, we get an inside look at ITV Studios’ biggest event of the year at London Screenings, where global buyers gather to shop for the TV hits of the future. 

In this special episode, Justin speaks to ITV Studios executives Ruth Berry, Julian Bellamy, Cecilie Olsen and Kate Barnes about the company’s latest formats, dramas, and unscripted shows, including high-profile titles like Cold Water, Code of Silence, and The Guest.

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In this episode of TellyCast, host Justin Crosby sits down with Victor Potrol, SVP of Partnerships & Creator Services at TheSoul Publishing, one of the biggest players in digital-first content. With billions of views across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, TheSoul Publishing has mastered audience engagement at scale.

Victor shares insights into the company’s growth strategy, platform adaptability, and monetisation in an...

In this episode of TellyCast, host Justin Crosby dives into one of the biggest debates in the industry—does the UK’s TV commissioning system still work in 2025, or is it time for a major reset?

Joining Justin is Ed Sayer, former commissioner-turned-producer, who shares his unique perspective from both sides of the fence. He discusses the challenges producers face, the realities of commissioning, and whether commissioners are unfairl...