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Studio71 UK Hires Joe Varley as Director of Development, in Newly Created Role
The former Fulwell73 and Zeppotron Exec joins Studio71 UK in a newly created role to further supercharge the company’s development slate following its successful broadcast commissions.
Studio71 UK, a Red Arrow Studios company, today announces the hire of Joe Varley as Director of Development.
In his new position, Varley will lead the expansion of Studio71 UK’s development slate, across comedy entertainment, factual and scripted comedy, reporting to Jody Smith, Studio71 UK VP Creative Director.
A veteran of the television industry, Varley joins the team with over a decade of experience. Previously, he has held Development Executive roles at Fulwell73 and Wonder TV Productions, and Head of Development at Endemol-owned Zeppotron and Tiger Aspect. His credits include BAFTA-winning Fonejacker (E4/C4) and Facejacker (C4) as well as developing BAFTA-winning Murder in Successville (BBC Three), Drunk History UK (Comedy Central), viral hit Little Prankers (BBC Three), and he is the creator of ITV’s Dinner Date format. Throughout his career, he has created, developed and produced television programmes for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Comedy Central and has multiple other production credits under his belt including Room 101 (BBC), Britain Today Tonight (C4) and Alan Carr: Chatty Man (C4).
Varley’s addition will boost Studio71 UK’s development slate following several new scripted and unscripted commissions for multiple broadcasters and platforms, including: recently-announced reality wedding show Countdown To I Do is in production for TLC, following a 2019 wedding series also for the channel; an 18-part series, Forged With Steele, for HISTORY UK with blacksmith Alec Steele; and the scripted comedy series Fully Blown with breakout viral talent Donna Preston and Verona Rose for BBC Three. Studio71 UK has also created formats for social including several BBC Factual series such as IGTV doc Fashion Conscious and three series for BBC’s Tiny Happy People and has produced original series for digital platforms such as Snapchat.
Jody Smith, Studio71 UK VP Creative Director, says: “Joe’s passion for new talent and ability to develop smart, funny ideas makes him the perfect fit for Studio71. Through our talent agency Moxie, we work with some of the UK’s best entertainers for young, diverse audiences, creating fun factual and comedy entertainment. In Joe we have found someone who knows how to build exciting TV projects around this type of talent, and make use of the detailed knowledge we have of their audience’s behaviour.”
Varley adds, “While it may be a while before we can all brainstorm in the same room again, now is an incredibly exciting time to join such a fresh thinking company. As TV is increasingly being challenged by online and new platforms, Studio71 is brilliantly positioned to bridge that gap, and with my passion for working with new talent and creating fun formats, I hope to bring more inventiveness and escapism to screen.”
Part of Red Arrow Studios, Studio71 was established in the UK in 2017 as a multi-channel network and now works with hundreds of digital creators across multiple platforms. It began its production unit and podcast network in 2018, and has since created shows for linear and digital, and has a slate of ten different podcasts covering comedy, health & wellbeing, film, food and sex & relationships. In 2019, it launched its boutique talent agency, Moxie to help discover and empower talented entertainers from the digital space, which picked up Best Agency for New Talent Edinburgh TV Festival’s New Voice Awards in February 2020.
For further information on Studio71 UK or its production slate, contact phie.mckenzie@studio71uk.com.
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Studio71’s ‘F**ks Given’ Nominated for Best Podcast in the 24th Annual Webby Awards
The sex-positive podcast, F**ks Given with YouTubers ComeCurious is one of only five podcasts selected in the Health & Wellness category for this prestigious accolade.
Studio71 UK, a Red Arrow Studios company, announces it has been nominated for Best Health & Wellness Podcast in the 24th Annual Webby Awards. The podcast is one of five best podcasts selected in the category and is one of 13,000 entries received in this year’s Awards ranging from over 70 countries worldwide.
Vote for ‘F**ks Given’ in the Webby Awards here
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honour” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honouring excellence on the Internet.
IADAS, which nominates and selects The Webby Award Winners, is comprised of Internet industry experts including Instagram Co-founder Kevin Systrom, Mozilla Chairwoman Mitchell Baker and 23andMe Co-Founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki.
“Nominees like Studio71 UK are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Claire Graves, Executive Director of The Webby Awards. “It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the 13,000 entries we received this year.”
Fans Can Vote Online to Help F**ks Given Win the Internet’s Top Honour
vote.webbyawards.com
‘F**ks Given’ is a weekly podcast hosted by sex-positive activists and YouTubers Come Curious (Florence Barker and Reed Amber) which helps to further the conversation around sex, helping dismantle its taboos – particularly for young people. The podcast, which has had over 1 million downloads since it was launched, asks both guests and listeners to celebrate their sexual pasts and participate in the conversation around sexual histories to promote a healthy and honest culture around sex.
Having actively broadened the discourse around sexual education and enjoyment with their YouTube channel, Come Curious have become pioneering figures in the underserved sexual wellness space and possess a young, highly engaged and growing audience previously not served by traditional sex education. ComeCurious are signed to Studio71 UK’s boutique talent management company Moxie, and are one of over thirty social talents on its client roster it is developing for different platforms.
The podcast is eligible to win a Webby People’s Voice Award, which is voted online. From now until May 8th, F**ks Given fans can cast their votes here
Winners will be announced on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, and honoured in an Internet Celebration on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.
‘F**ks Given is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, acast & all good streaming platforms. It is a Studio71 production, produced by Jack Claramunt and Winnie Simon, executively produced by Tom Payne and Jody Smith. For more information on Studio71 or its podcast slate, contact phie.mckenzie@studio71uk.com
About The Webby Awards
Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honour” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honouring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Video, Advertising, Media & PR, Apps, Mobile, and Voice, Social, Podcasts, and Games. Established in 1996, this year’s Webby Awards received nearly 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include: WP Engine, Monday.com, Slack, YouGov, BASIC, KPMG, Adweek, Fast Company, The New Museum, and Social Media Week. -
The Power Hour podcast with Adrienne Herbert Honours Black History Month with a Month-Long Series Featuring Pioneering Black Guests
The podcast will host celebrated cultural innovators, sporting icons and campaigners for change during the month of October
Adrienne Herbert, Power Hour podcast host, leading wellness professional and international speaker announces a special series of Power Hour episodes to celebrate Black History Month. Running twice weekly throughout October, the episodes will feature a variety of revered guests including entrepreneurs, philanthropists, sports athletes, rising icons and musical legends – each of which have made impressive contributions to their fields.
Guests set to appear during October include ground-breaking DJ and radio broadcaster Trevor Nelson MBE, former England Rugby Union player Maggie Alphonsi MBE, and journalist, audio producer and founder of Gal-Dem magazine Liv Little. Further guests include Femi Oluwole, political activist and co-founder of Our Future Our Choice and Jamz Supernova, radio presenter and music label owner. The series launches with an episode featuring guest Marvyn Harrison, activist and founder of Dope Black Dads which campaigns for more constructive and positive narratives surrounding black fathers.
Listen to the first guest of the series Marvyn Harrison, Founder of Dope Black Dads
With the Black History Month series, Adrienne Herbert will commemorate a small fraction of the many talented and respected Black visionaries that have helped shape Britain’s rich and diverse culture. In these episodes, she will explore her guests’ incredible achievements and accolades, the pressures of being agents for change and paving the way for future generations.
The Power Hour podcast was launched in 2018 in collaboration with Studio71 UK to inspire listeners to unlock their full potential and achieve their personal goals. Having realised there were few motivational podcasts lead by women, and even fewer hosted by women of colour, Adrienne, who is British-Jamaican, felt it was not only important but essential for an audio format to provide a platform where more diverse voices could be heard.
Adrienne says, “As a woman of colour and a mother to a mixed-race son, I think that it’s important to hear the stories, perspectives and experiences of other people. I hope that through this month of episodes, the Power Hour podcast will share these amazing voices, and empower people, regardless of their age, race, gender or background to know that anything is possible.”
Now closely approaching its first anniversary, the Power Hour podcast has featured numerous high-profile guests including Manchester United and England footballer, Chris Smalling, broadcaster and podcast host Fearne Cotton, food writer and entrepreneur Ella Mills, presenter AJ Odudu, and GB long-jumper and gymnast Jazmin Sawyers. The podcast has won support from the likes of Refinery29, Stylist, RED, London Evening Standard and Bustle and more, and has received more than 600K listens since it launched in November 2018.
The podcast is produced by Jack Claramunt at Studio71 UK and executively produced by Tom Payne and Jody Smith.
The Power Hour can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Stitcher and all good podcast platforms.
For more information on the podcast, contact phie.mckenzie@studio71uk.com.
