From Salford
three for ages. We were convinced they had made the cut and we hadn’t, and were scheming a plan B that involved running off to work at EuroDisney. When the lecturers came in and told us we were in, I thought I had won the lottery! I remember the excitement of the Adelphi Campus being so close to the big, professional world of Granada Television and BBC North, and constantly dreaming up ways to appear on their programs or get work experience."
Upon graduating Rob didn’t have to wait long for his first job in “the business”. After applying to an advert he saw in the Media Guardian whilst still a student, he was offered the position as an Agent’s Assistant for a theatrical agency in the middle of the West End: “I left Salford on a Friday and started in London on a Monday. [The agency] represented comedians like Paul Merton, Rik Mayal and Alexei Sayle as well as film and TV actors. It was absolutely the business of showbusiness; availability checks, contracts and filming dates. I’d put people on ‘soft holds’, create character breakdowns from scripts, and try to remember which clients died and which cried in Casualty or Eastenders that week."
Later, Rob was offered two jobs at the same time, one as a performer on a cruise ship and the other as a runner with Hat Trick Productions, for much less money: “I took the runner job, and got to work on all their shows, from Father Ted and Drop the Dead Donkey, to Have I Got News for You and Whose Line is It Anyway. I started on the BBC 2 sitcom Game On and moved on to Clive Anderson’s talk show. I can still remember his exact lunch order. He was a true gentleman, and he always let me keep the change!“
Since then, Rob has gone on to produce more than 1,500 hours of live television with genre-defining daily UK magazine formats The Big Breakfast and This Morning and talk shows with hosts Des O’Connor and Johnny Vaughan. He was also Executive Producer of the largest reality show productions to date; Paradise Hotel, Forever Eden (both in America) and the BBC’s multi-platform documentary reality series Castaway, with daily live
broadcasts in an 80 episode, 12 week run on both primetime BBC1 and BBC3 in 2007. He says: “The creative challenge of producing ideas every day for live magazine shows The Big Breakfast and This Morning were fantastic training grounds, and I’m proud of running the recent BBC show Castaway even though it wasn’t a hit, because it was such an achievement logistically. You learn as much on a flop as you do a hit, sometimes more! In 2003 I sold an idea to the Fox Network that became Paradise Hotel and ended up the biggest (and most expensive, at nearly $30 million) hit that summer on US television. I now executive produce all the international versions. It’s become a cult hit in the industry, so it’s a good calling card. And it’s the show that got me into America.”
We asked Rob to tell us what it’s like working with so many well-known individuals: “Celebrities are often the least interesting people you work with, but there are exceptions. Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu, the Prince of Wales. All much more down to earth, warm and ‘human’ than you might expect. Spending three days in Milan with Madonna was fascinating, prepping for an interview with Elizabeth Taylor and her walking in with Michael Jackson on her arm was definitely a thrill, and I’ve spent most of 2011 working with Harvey Weinstein which was an education! Nowadays, it really is just part of the day to day in the job, but I have no shame in still being excited to work with people I admire. If you lose that, what’s the point of being in the business?”
“ I auditioned for my course with five other people. When the lecturers came in and told us we were in, I thought I had won the lottery!”
Now based in America full-time, following a stint working in Australia, Rob is a judging member of BAFTA, the Producers Guild of America and ASTRA (the Australian subscription television industry awards). He also serves as a Director on the Board of BAFTA/LA and regularly lectures on issues in the broadcasting industry, including teaching at UCLA. Recent projects include working as Executive Producer on Project Runway All Stars, with fellow Executive Producers Heidi Klum, Jon Murray and Harvey Weinstein. And, Rob is now working as Executive Producer of Current Programming for BBC Worldwide where he is Executive Producing a new show with Oprah Winfrey which is due to air in 2012.
During his career, Rob has worked with many other high-profile figures such as Madonna, Will Smith and members of the Royal Family. He has also conducted interviews with the likes of Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Sir Paul McCartney, Woody Allen, Tom Cruise, George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Political leaders he has worked with include President Bill Clinton, Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Former President of Russia Mikhail Gorbachev.
Alumni Magazine 2011 31
Finally, we asked Rob about some of the highlights of his personal life since leaving Salford: “My brother served in the RAF and did tours in Kuwait, Kosovo and Northern Ireland. Now he’s doing serious undercover work for the police. I’m immensely proud of his achievements, and my friends who are doing so well in their own careers. I ran entertainment for one of the networks in Australia for two years, and then moved from Sydney to Los Angeles. Setting up in a new country and building a life - not just a living - is the key, and definitely a highlight for me. But most important is the bond I have with my godchildren and friends’ kids, who I care about more than anything. That’s what really counts.”
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