Meet the Team 

Helen O’Donnell - Director of Development

Helen is a creative and commercially driven senior executive in the media industry. She is the founder and Director of Development at BBC Studios TalentWorks. Helen’s track-record of success includes creating and launching new content with creators Dan Howell, Joe Sugg, DanTDM, Mariam Musa, Nella Rose, Joe Wicks, Sam and Nic Chapman. Most recently, she led BBC Creator Lab for BBC Public Service & collaborations with TikTok, YouTube & Meta. 

Helen was the inaugural chair of the BBC Studios Next Generation Board, aimed at re-inventing the BBC for the next generation. She also utilises her expertise in online content creation as an advisory board member and speaker at Vidcon. Helen started her career in FMCG beauty marketing, with experience of managing global franchises. Helen is a passionate and experienced producer & performer over 15+ years in the cultural & creative industries in the UK & internationally. She serves as Trustee for Vault Creative Arts, on the production team at Machynlleth Comedy Festival since launch, and innovatively brings together science/arts-education & live theatre in critically-acclaimed company Do Not Adjust Your Stage.

Katrina Bell – Head of Talent Development

A proud Glaswegian, Katrina has enjoyed a career that spans the creative industries in Scotland, London, Australia and New York. Katrina is the Head of Talent Development with a demonstrated history of collaboration and creativity. She works cross-genre and cross-platform (books, live shows, podcasts and long-form content) on developing ideas with top-level talent.

She led the award-winning development activity with Pinterest, to uncover new stories and storytellers in the Factual Entertainment space. Launched In The Mix, a funded development experience for black creators curated in collaboration with Black Creators Matter and the Barbican. Katrina has also worked with Joe Sugg on the development on Final Straw Productions, including the launch of the FSP YouTube channel which is a test bed for creators to develop formats and ideas.

Katrina is a member of the ‘Routes In: Network’, the Network aims to share knowledge, skills and expertise around creating progression routes for young people into the cultural and creative industries. Katrina is a judge for the BAFTA Television Craft Awards, The Edinburgh Television Festival Awards & EDTV Amplify New Voices Awards. She leads an annual charity activity for the team including walking a marathon in a day for Children in Need raising over £4000.

Shukri Dirie - Development Producer

Shukri is our Development Producer, working across various scripted & unscripted projects on the TalentWorks slate.

With 9+ years of experience across the Film & TV industry in marketing, communications and IP development. Shukri has lead a number of training and development initiatives at BBC Studios, including Presenter Training Day – a one day event upskilling creators across various genres & The Writer’s Spotlight - a training and development initiative to nurture and champion the next generation of writers. As well as producing Funny Parts x Fringe to develop emerging talent in the comedy space. Prior to joining BBC Studios, Shukri worked in film publicity and marketing, across major campaigns including The Lost Daughter, Jojo Rabbit and Bohemian Rhapsody at Netflix, 20th Century Fox, Searchlight Pictures, Sony Pictures & Studiocanal.

Shukri is highly driven by her passion for creative storytelling and bringing diverse stories to the forefront and amplifying black female voices. Currently a core member of the team behind Black Women In Scripted, an impressive collective of Black British Women non-binary people working within scripted Film & Television.

Shukri is a judge for The Edinburgh TV Festival Awards & EDTV Amplify New Voices Awards. She’s also produced panels for Cannes Lions Festival & EDTV Amplify and hosted workshops for GUAP, Iconic Steps & Black Creators Matter. She enjoys writing and is currently working on a mini-series.

Scripted Specialists

Deborah Sathe - Senior Production Creative Director (Drama)

Deborah started her career as a theatre director and producer before moving to the BBC to set up the Asian Network’s soap opera Silver Street. From radio Deborah moved to BBC television as diversity producer setting up and running three series of the award winning EastEnders E20 before becoming Story producer for EastEnders. Deborah moved into the world of feature films as Head of Talent Development and Production for Film London, delivering domestic and international film training as well as running feature film funds. Deborah moved from Film London to Cinestaan International Film Studios, making and selling feature films for both the international and domestic markets including Bollywood smash hit Gully Boy, Oscar nominated Cold War, and critically acclaimed animation Bombay Rose. Deborah returned to BBC studios in November 2019 where she is now the Creative Director, overseeing the soaps, medical shows and cosy crimes, as well as a slate of new productions in various stages of development. Deborah also oversees training for scripted at BBC Studios.

Kris Green - Training Executive (Drama)

Kris joined EastEnders in 2010 as a storyliner, before moving to the Script team where he became Senior Script Producer. He went on to produce two episodes of Casualty, before joining the Drama team as Training Executive. Kris is responsible for the training strategy for all on and off-screen talent across the portfolio.

Tom Williams - Head of Development (Drama)

Tom began his career at the BBC where he worked across story and script for the likes EastEnders and Doctors, before going on to script edit the first series of The Man in the High Castle for Amazon. He worked in a number a development roles for the likes of 42 and Wall to Wall, contributing to productions such as Julian Fellowes’ The English Game for Netflix. More recently, he worked on Amazon’s Ten Percent for Bron/Headline, before becoming a Drama commissioner for Apple.

Sarah Creasey - Senior Development Producer (Drama)

Sarah is an experienced editorial Producer who has worked extensively across Holby City and EastEnders, as well as shows including Ripper Street and Love & Marriage for Tiger Aspect. She now runs the CDS Drama slate as Senior Development Producer under Deborah Sathe and Kate Oates.

Neil Irvine - Exec Producer (Father Brown/Sister Boniface)

Neil began his career script editing Doctors, Holby City, Land Girls and Father Brown, now in its 11th series. More recently he developed Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, Sister Boniface Mysteries and an adaptation of The Canterville Ghost. He is currently developing new projects alongside his role as Executive Producer of Father Brown and Sister Boniface Mysteries.

Jill McCracken - Development Manager (Drama & Comedy)

Jill is our Scripted Development Editor and Manager. She works across BBC Studios Comedy and Drama productions and specialises in identifying new Intellectual Property, worlds, and stories for adaptation into scripted programmes.

Suzy Cripps - Development Producer (Drama)

Suzy develops series for BBC Studios Drama and helps run The Writer Spotlight. She’s previously worked with Soilsiú Films, Dramadan and Mammoth Screen.  

Victoria Barber - Development Editor (Drama)

Victoria is part of the team that runs The Writer Spotlight. She also works across the BBC Studios Drama slate, identifying and developing series ideas. Victoria has worked for Euston Films, Mammoth Screen, and BAFTA Rocliffe.

Lizzie Melbourne - Development & Production Coordinator (Drama)

Lizzie Melbourne joined BBC Studios in 2022. Prior to that, she worked in theatre developing emerging new artists and was included in ‘The Stage 100’ for her work with the National Student Drama Festival.

Amber Farrant - Production Coordinator (Drama Training HQ)

Amber Farrant joined the BBC in 2020, where she worked in Children's & Education. Amber now works in the drama training unit facilitating and coordinating various projects aimed at enhancing the efficiency and quality of our Drama productions. Projects include; River City Academy 2023 & 2024, Casualty Directors Scheme, Casualty Writers Studio, Eastenders Writers Studio, Edinburgh TV Festival Drama Workshops, Producing for HETV Course, Cosy Crime & Commercial Courses, Mental Health & First Aid Training.

Tia Welsh - Team Assistant (Drama)

After studying Creative Writing at York St John University in 2019, Tia took the plunge into the HETV and Film landscape in 2022 to pursue her love for literature and the big screen. She moved from the Isle of Man to London to work as the Office Runner for BBC Indie, Moonage Pictures (Bodies, The Gentleman, Famous Five) for the next 12 months, helping to support Executive Producers Will Gould (Peaky Blinders), Matthew Read (Happy Valley) and Frith Tiplady (Peaky Blinders).

Tia will provide support across development and production, acting as the key focal point of contact for the drama team. She is currently working on her own personal slate of writing projects.