Fremantle

There is an irony to Amelia Brown’s rise to the top of the TV tree. The Fremantle UK CEO says: “My mother was hilariously strict with my TV watching and would not let me watch much of it… So, I would rebel and watch it where and when I could... she was a bit of a TV snob.”

She and her mum subsequently saw the funny side when Brown found success working on ITV hits Pop Idol, The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent and reminded her mother: “You wouldn’t even let me watch ITV!”

RTS Bursary scholars and alumni share how their lives have changed since applying for the scheme, what they have learned about themselves and the industry, and why they think you should apply.

In late June, Fremantle UK hosted the RTS’s annual summer networking session, welcoming past and present RTS Bursary scholars to their London office. Alongside their personal mentors, the attendees connected and exchanged contacts with each other and industry professionals.

The new series will start filming in Australia next year, with the production company Fremantle signing a deal with Amazon Freevee.

Among the returning cast are fan favourites Alan Fletcher as Karl Kennedy, Jackie Woodburne as Susan Kennedy, Stefan Dennis as Paul Robinson, and Ryan Moloney as Toadie Rebecchi.

As well as a new series of the soap, Amazon will also host the show’s 37-year back catalogue of classic episodes.

Current and previous ­bursary scholars attended, together with Fremantle representatives, RTS mentors and other leading industry figures.  

RTS bursaries consultant Anne Dawson said that these opportunities were “so important”, because “they give our students a connection to the industry they wouldn’t otherwise have”.  

As one of the world’s production behemoths, Fremantle – whose shows range from Pop Idol via Neighbours to My Brilliant Friend – is determined to think laterally as it adapts to life in the age of Covid-19.

In several countries, Fremantle continued making content throughout lockdown. “We’re a truly global company, so we never actually stopped producing,” says Andrea Scrosati, the firm’s COO. He is normally based in London but has been based in his native Tuscany for the past two months or so.

It’s 4pm on a Friday afternoon, a time of the week when most of us are preparing to wind down the working week. Not Gurinder Chadha, co-creator and director of ITV’s new period drama, Beecham House, otherwise known as “Downton in Delhi”.

She’s at work in a Soho edit suite, putting the finishing touches to another project, her latest movie, Blinded by the Light. The film is based on journalist and broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir, Greetings from Bury Park.

Industry experts evaluated attendees's resumes at the CV clinics to show them how to make theirs stand out from the rest. 

If you couldn't make the event, or you want to relive it, this video includes the highlights of everything you missed. 

During his four decades working in the television industry, Holloway has worked with some of the biggest and the best in the world of entertainment.

After leaving school at the age of 16, Holloway rose from stage assistant to be the man responsible for bringing shows such as The X Factor and All Star Family Fortunes to our screens.

Here are four of the best TV moments the entertainment guru had a hand in.