Woodcut hires Meriel Beale as senior exec for fact ent

Indie Woodcut Media has appointed Meriel Beale to the newly-created position of Senior Executive Producer, Factual Entertainment.

She will report directly to Woodcut’s CEO, Kate Beal and Head of Development, Jo Enyori. As part of her remit, Beale will be responsible for ramping up the company’s factual entertainment offerings, focusing on developing original formats and securing commissions within the UK and internationally.

Beale was responsible for producing the original pilot to the hit format Through the Keyhole with Keith Lemon, 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 other unscripted shows ranging from live studio, documentaries, travelogues, and gameshows.

She also founded ‘Unseen On Screen’, an anti-bullying project, 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.”