Kevin O'Brien

Kevin O’Brien, ITV entertainment commissioner, talks about commissioning TV shows in lockdown. He explains why the audience is the soul of an entertainment programme and talks about whether it's possible to make shows without one. He also gives out his email address. He was talking to Alexandra Bootherstone, production coordinator, for ITV commissioning.

About Kevin O'Brien

Kevin O'Brien is the Commissioning Editor for I'm a Celebrity, Soccer Aid, Celebrity Juice and The National Television Awards. He has worked across multiple series of I’m a Celebrity as well as Love Island, Big Brother, Red or Black, Sport Relief, Friends Like These and Gemma Collins: Diva Forever to name a few. He has also developed formats such as Love Island: Aftersun, Keep It In The Family, Survival Of The Fittest and Dancing On Ice for its 2018 reboot.

About this event

Kevin was speaking from his home on 6 May 2020. The event was supported by the ScreenSkills Television Skills Fund which invests in training for the freelance television workforce thanks to contributions from the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. It is part of a ScreenSkills programme managed by the Indie Training Fund to support freelancers to upskill and stay connected, helping keep the industry resilient in the coronavirus lockdown.

For more information, see ITV entertainment commissioners.

If you're interested in a career in unscripted TV, see ScreenSkills unscripted TV job profiles.