TEAM

Max Barber – Creative Director / Producer / Founder

Max is a film school trained producer-director and with over 20 years experience in broadcast factual entertainment, documentary, reality TV and independent scripted comedy & drama. Some of his attention-grabbing shows include: Geordie Shore (MTV), Don’t Tell The Bride (BBC1), Cruising With Jane McDonald & Make Me A Super Model (Channel 5), through to more gritty and thought-provoking, authored works: Adult Lives (BBC2), Drugs Uncovered (Channel 4), Peter Tatchell: Just Who Does He Think He Is? (The Community Channel). Max has a passion for both true crime & specialist factual and has worked on and developed shows in these genres over the last few years for Netflix & Sky-History/A&E Networks. He’s also written and directed a number of award-winning films exploring LGBT+ & disability subject matter that have all been distributed or released by Peccadillo Pictures, MTV-Logo, TLA Releasing, Amazon Prime & Apple TV. In 2012 Max discovered a new acting talent in the form of Samantha Renke who he cast in his debut feature film, Little Devil. He continues to develop projects with her to this day.

Embarrassing trivia: Max used to work as a Michael Jackson impersonator as a teenager in the 1980’s!

Credits & reels

Little Devil website

Samantha Renke – Head of Talent / Producer / Founder

Samantha was a former language teacher from Lancashire. Having lived & worked in London for 10 years, she has now returned to her roots in the North of England. Her career has seen her work as an actress and in disability education and training. She was a Trustee and Spokesperson for the Brittle Bone Society for six years and has regular appearances as a front-woman for disability rights on BBC & Channel 4 News, Channel 5’s The Right Stuff & The Jeremy Vine Show. Other TV appearances include BBC’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Sunday Morning Live & ITV’s Loose Women. Samantha also writes a number of regular columns for The Huffington Post, Metro & PosAbility Magazine as well as her regular podcasts including The Mobility Lifestyle Pod.

Her first acting role in the film, Little Devil, gained her awards at the 2014 Los Angles Diversity Film Festival, and she has since appeared in numerous on-line campaigns, pop videos & the hugely successful Malteasers TV commercial that ran throughout 2016.

Embarrassing trivia: Sam has a childhood terror of sharks after seeing Jaws – she still has anxieties about being eaten sitting on the loo!

Samantha’s website

Samantha’s acting reel

Samantha’s campaign reel

Gavin Hay – Non-Executive Director / Founder

Gavin Hay has a solid background as a British TV executive and content creator who co-founded Brighter Pictures which was bought by Endemol in 2001. Gavin has been responsible for creating and managing more than 30 original television formats, many of which have been sold globally. These include Big Brother & Flava (Channel 4), There’s Something About Miriam (FOX), Tabloid Tales with Piers Morgan (BBC1). Gavin was a key driving force behind Cherry Cherry, a London based visual effects & post-production company before he set up Content Kings with TV exec, Jonathan Levi. Content Kings produces true crime & documentaries for Channel 5, Paramount Plus & History A&E Networks. In 2023 Gavin set up a 2nd company office in Dubai where they have already been commissioned to make entertainment & game shows for international and local broadcasting. 

Embarrassing trivia: Gavin religiously watches Saturday morning kids TV shows – no really!

Gavin’s IMDB page

Content Kings Ltd

Paddy Smyth – Associate Development Producer

Paddy gained notoriety as the breakout star of First Dates Ireland in 2017, building a loyal audience both in his home country and abroad. As a presenter, media commentator, influencer, and disability rights activist with cerebral palsy, he won the 2019 series of The Circle on Channel 4 and hosted The Fitting Room on RTE2 the same year. He’s also been featured on Celebrity Pulling with My Parents on RTE2. Known for his humour, frankness & honesty, he’s led social media campaigns for brands like Science Foundation Ireland, Domino’s Pizza, and Disney+. Recently, BBC selected him as a Creator in Residence, collaborating on TV ideas. Paddy has been developing various projects with Born This Way Media over the last few years that are both entertaining, populist and slap-bang in the centre of the diverse talent pool that is colouring our TV screens & social media feeds.

Embarrassing Trivia: Paddy was – and still is – an obsessed West Life fan and used slippery lies and cunning to infiltrate their changing room while they were doing a book signing.

Paddy´s Instagram Page

WHO WE COLLABORATE WITH

Andrew Roach / Insanity Group

Andrew has been representing disabled talent over many years for some of the leading names including: Samantha Renke, Adam Pearson, Ruben Reuter, Shani Dhanda & Briony May Williams. Andrew also works tirelessly as a consultant and advocate including for the BFI Disability Screen Advisory Group, Deaf & Disabled People in TV and Live Comedy Association.

INSANITY GROUP

Content Kings

Headed up by TV executives, Gavin Hay & Jonathan Levi, the international company based in the UK & Dubai has produced content for ITV, Channel 5, Sky History, Crime & Investigation and Paramount +

CONTENT KINGS

North One Television

North One is one of Europe’s biggest and most respected independent media companies. For over 20 years, North One has been recognised as a global producer of world class entertainment, factual digital, sport and live event programming, winning scores of awards for its shows- including three BAFTAs for its production of Formula One for the UK’s premier commercial network, ITV.

NORTH ONE TELEVISION