Hot Shots 2026: Maria Odufuye

Working on series four of Netflix’s Sex Education – her first high-end TV credit – Maria Odufuye found herself unexpectedly script editing all eight episodes single-handed.

As if that wasn’t tough enough, family commitments led her to take script meetings from a soft play centre while caring for her sister’s two-year-old child as part of a hectic schedule that left her zigzagging between Hertfordshire, Essex, London and Cardiff without a day’s leave.

Initially working in unscripted as a trainee researcher via the Mama Youth Project, Maria got her first taste of drama script editing on BBC2’s MotherFatherSon before going on to honour her East London roots as an assistant script editor on EastEnders. She also worked as a development assistant on Clerkenwell Films before heading to Eleven Films for Sex Education.

Credits on ITV’s Playing Nice, Netflix movie Your Christmas or Mine 2 and series two of the streamer’s superhero show Supacell followed.

Maria has also facilitated workshops and courses for emerging industry talent with the NFTS, ScreenSkills, BFI, BAFTA Connect, Watershed Bristol and BBC.

Luther creator Neil Cross, who initially worked with Maria remotely on his Sky Atlantic series The Iris Affair, says she quickly became a trusted collaborator.

“Despite my being on the far side of the world, Maria made herself available at the drop of a hat,” he says. “Her contributions involved helping me untangle knotty, large-scale story problems all the way down to endless patience with the details that drive me mad – including her brilliant instinct for character and fictional product names. She turned around her technical script-editorial work with excellence, at speed, and with an exceptional eye for detail.”

Once Maria joined him in Rome for the later stages of production, she took on responsibilities beyond her core script editing role, according to Cross.

“Maria was vital to me and loved by cast and crew for her endlessly positive attitude and work ethic. Given the choice, I’d work with her on everything I do – she’s one of the best people I’ve worked with.”