Talent Ventures

Williams is known throughout the TV industry as one of the most experienced entrepreneurs working with talent looking to build businesses of the back of their successes in television. Having previously run a major independent production company William went on to join Nigella Lawson as her business manager and partner in Pabulum Media. Here he created a successful vehicle for the creation and management of Nigella’s growing portfolio of intellectual property - from the production and distribution of her critically acclaimed TV shows to the design, creation and sales of her retail brand Living Kitchen. Then, having been bought out of Nigella’s company, William went joined the content board at BBC Worldwide as Head of Talent setting up the Talent Ventures division. Here he built a reputation as the go-to partner for high profile television talent looking to build businesses, working with the likes of Kirstie Allsopp, Louis Theroux, Amanda Hart, David Walliams and many more.  

Examples of Talent Venture work undertaken by William:

  • Setting up Kirstie Allsopp & Phil Spencer’s indie, Raise the Roof – now one of Scotland’s biggest indies.Substantially increasing BBC Worldwide’s lifestyle catalogue by securing high profile talent to the company.

  • Helping to secure funding for Miranda Hart and David Walliams production company, King Bert

  • Played a key role in keeping Louis Theroux at the BBC and in turn securing him to the BBC’s in-house production

  • Helping to raise funds for Louis Theroux’s first theatrically released feature documentary

  • Putting together the deal to keep Professor Brian Cox at the BBC

  • Turning the children’s natural history show Deadly Sixty into a leading commercial brand for BBC Worldwide and secured the presenter Steve Backshall to the Natural History Unit

  • Securing the distribution, merchandising and licensing of Great British Bake Off to BBC Worldwide

  • Helping BBCW Australia market a substantial lifestyle catalogue

  • Helping win the Australia Bake-Off commission with Foxtel

  • Creating Rachel Koo’s Kitchen Notebook brand and programming and securing commissions with BBC Global Channels and the Australian broadcaster SBS