Patrick Younge
I’m the former creative leader of BBC Television Productions, the largest content creation company in the world, delivering 2,500 hours of TV programming annually across Comedy, Drama, Entertainment and Documentaries. I left the BBC in 2014 to set up my own consultancy, Wecreate Associates Ltd, which specialises in creative leadership and technology, with clients including Google, British Council and Channel 4 Television.
In that role I was responsible for 3,000 BBC programme makers across the UK on productions which include Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, Luther, Frozen Planet, EastEnders, Miranda, Dragons’ Den, Citizen Khan, Crimewatch, The Wrong Mens, the Royal Wedding, Mrs Brown’s Boys, The Jubilee (pageant, concert and service) and Sport Relief.
Born in south London, to parents who’d immigrated from the Caribbean, I was one of three sons raised by my single mother in Stevenage, Herts. I went to a state school (Nobel secondary school, Stevenage) and on to Cardiff University where I studied Mineral Exploitation (Mining Geology). I served a sabbatical year as president of the Student Union, and after graduating I spent two years on the National Union Of Students national executive committee (1987-89).
I started working in Television in 1991 for ITV, and have since worked for BBC News, BBC Sport and Channel 4. I also spent 5 years living in the USA running a cable network called Travel Channel Media, available in 98 million homes, where we created many global hit shows including Man v Food and Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations.
I’m a Fellow of the Royal Television Society and of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Governor at the University of West London. I’m married with three children, Isaac (22 months), Rebecca (19) and Alex (16) and enjoy travelling, sport, reading, crosswords, sudoko and film.