Hot Shots 2026: Sophie Aziz

Graduates of 2020 trying to enter the industry found themselves blocked by production shutdowns and paused commissions. Through persistence and determination, Sophie Aziz secured a runner’s job on Chalkboard TV’s Channel 4 show Mend It For Money.

As the market picked up, Sophie soon landed casting assistant producer jobs on Raise the Roof’s Kirstie and Phil property shows, STV Studios’ The Yorkshire Auction House and The Derbyshire Auction House, and series four of Studio Lambert’s The Traitors; she was also a welfare AP on both that series and its debut celebrity version.

Sophie’s now into her second year on BBC Studios’ business staple Dragons Den and has just been given her first junior producer role. BBCS Entertainment creative director Adeline Ramage Rooney admires her blend of “editorial sharpness, emotional intelligence and creative bravery” in helping ensure the best experience for contributors, the Dragons and viewers alike.

“Sophie has an exceptional eye for spotting British businesses with genuine scale potential and consistently elevates their stories to become TV moments – guiding nervous founders, interrogating their business models with precision, and ensuring every business pitch lands with both heart and editorial credibility,” she says.

“There are countless moments where she has truly shone – rescuing pitches on the brink of collapse, reframing stories that weren’t landing, and coaching entrepreneurs through some of the most high-pressure moments of their lives.”

The show’s executive producer, Sam Davies says Sophie quickly became “indispensable” to the production.

“Sophie demonstrates a rare ability to move fluidly between editorial, casting and contributor welfare - and excel in all three.

“She has an instinctive understanding of how to shape a story: how to find its emotional core, how to interrogate its logic, and how to elevate it so it resonates with primetime audiences.”