Twenty Questions: Rebecca Kenny-Smith

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?

I get up, shower, get the kids ready, take the train to Marylebone and then walk to the office. It’s often only then I’ll see a coffee. My daughters, Ellson (14) and Hadleigh (12), are now old enough to make their own breakfast which has been a game changer.

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?

Any issues with production will do that. New ideas also sometimes keep me awake. I don’t want to forget anything so I will sit and write them all down in my phone which I know is not a very good idea.

FAVOURITE DRINK?

Champagne, I’m afraid. I love Dom Pèrignon but when we go shopping, I usually find a half-price deal on something and rarely pay much above £20. Some of the English sparkling wines are good too and it’s better for the UK [economy].

WHAT DOES A DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING DO?

At a fundamental level, I am responsible for every element of any programme we make. There won’t be a show or cast member that goes on air that I haven’t signed off, and I get involved across everything from welfare to legal. I have to creatively renew the programmes that we have, get them recommissioned and keep our shows running, series after series after series. My job is to keep our programmes alive and relevant so that audiences want to keep watching them. I’m fascinated by what viewers really want and I am constantly trying to evolve our programme formats.

“If you’ve got good talent on-screen and good talent off-screen then you’ve got a good series”

WHAT’S THE RECIPE FOR A GOOD SERIES?

People. If you’ve got good talent on-screen and good talent off-screen then you’ve got a good series. However, just because you are good at one show doesn’t guarantee you will be good at another.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH DIFFICULT TALENT, WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS AND WHO’S THE WORST?

The executives deal directly with the talent but I get brought in when there are issues that need resolving. If someone has not behaved professionally at work, then we have warning systems. Problems might be as simple as returning talent not wanting to sign their contract because they want an increased fee or start demanding first-class travel. We try to provide a good working environment for people to thrive but it is reality TV and things can get heated. Returning cast tend to be more problematic than cast members who have just come on board.

HOW IS REALITY AND UNSCRIPTED PROGRAMMING VIEWED WITHIN THE TV INDUSTRY?

The industry doesn’t have enough respect for reality programme makers. I’ve worked in Factual Entertainment and those programme-makers can think they are more sophisticated, working at a higher end. If they came in and tried to make reality, they probably wouldn’t get very far. Reality is very fast-moving, you’re never certain what’s going to happen next, because there is no script. You have to be able to be very decisive and make choices quickly using gut instinct. We don’t have the luxury of long shoots or really long edits. We are a fast turnaround product. Reality television deserves more respect in the industry than it gets.

WHAT IS LIME PICTURES POINT OF DIFFERENCE?

The culture at Lime Pictures is inclusive and collaborative. We are progressive, understanding; we want to encourage women at work and are open to shared roles so mothers can come back to work.

I don’t want to say Lime Pictures is like a family because it sounds so cheesy but there are people that will understand things from your perspective, they will listen to you and try to make things better. That nurturing culture is pretty unique to Lime.

HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK DO YOU WORK?

I am there for whatever is required. People know they can always contact me at any time but I don’t sitting the office all day and all night. I’m not a martyr about work and when I switch off, I switch off. When you work in television, you should expect to work a 10-hour day and more when in production.

WHO GAVE YOU YOUR FIRST CAREER BREAK?

My first running job was on Chris Evans’ TFI Friday but it was Katy Manley who gave me my first executive role on Big Brother.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE STARTING OUT IN TV?

If you are considering a career in TV, look at the people within the industry because you’re going to be spending a lot of time with them and you want to enjoy going to work. Once in, go above and beyond. Do more than anyone else and people will notice.

WHAT PROGRAMME ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

That’s really tough but it’s probably The Biggest Loser. It was a show that helped obese people lose weight. They often say in television “you’re not saving anyone’s life just chill” but on that show, we really were changing people’s lives.

GUILTY TV PLEASURES?

I really enjoyed the Top Boy, Schitt’s Creek and Ted Lasso series but an embarrassing one I got caught up on was Virgin River. It’s pretty terrible and for the record, I’m not recommending it.

DREAM DINNER PARTY GUESTS?

All the women from Steel Magnolias. Dolly Parton in a room with Daryl Hannah? Bring it on!

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS

Passionate, creative, competitive, diplomatic, fun.

LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Watching a rough cut of Drama Queens. There was a very moving section about a woman who’d been through an incredibly difficult time with a former partner and yet managed to come out on top. I had a little tear up and I said to the exec: “well done. You’ve made the Ice Queen break”.

ANY LEGAL PICKLES?

We have good lawyers to deal with those but contracts is an area that always requires careful handling. We carry out welfare and other checks before signing up new talent to our reality shows. Let’s just say what people tell you isn’t always the same as what comes up on a DBS check.

ANY WISE WORDS?

Be consistent, be less self-focused. Society feels like we don’t care about neighbours any more; we just don’t care about neighbours any more; we just care about being on our phones. Our lives have become very insular. We are becoming more and more self-centred. I think people should be more tolerant and considerate of others because you can get so much more from life if you are.

BURNING PASSIONS?

I am passionate about making the workplace better for everyone but in particular for women. The TV industry is sometimes too pressurised.

PET PEEVES?

I get frustrated dealing with people who are very self-centred and can only see things from their side; in work and real life. We’re all just trying to ‘be’.