As part of the acclaimed Fresh Cuts Strand for Disability History Month 2024, Richard Walker makes their directorial debut for ITV, with his profile series Unfiltered Women – a disabled-led chat show with Samantha Renke, Fats Timbo, and Jay Howard.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a Manchester based director who studied TV Production at the University of Gloucestershire. After Uni I worked my way up from Runner to Shooting Researcher to Shooting AP/DV Director, and now my first credit as a PD.
Outside of TV, I’ve just completed my first half marathon, and I love watching sports, everything from American football to Formula 1 to wrestling.
Did you always want to work in TV? How did you land your first role?
Growing up, I watched a lot of TV so I think it was always meant to be. At University, I tried different genres from studio to drama and I fell in love with documentaries and I’ve loved working in unscripted television ever since.
I got my first runner job on ITV’s Dickinson’s Real Deal handing out casting flyers and supporting the filming team on set.
Why did you apply for Fresh Cuts this year?
As soon as I learnt Fresh Cuts was celebrating Disability History Month I jumped at the chance. I think it’s really important to have more disability representation in front of and behind the camera, and stepping up is one of the hardest things to do in television so I’m very grateful to have been given this opportunity.
What is your series about?
Unfiltered Women is a disabled-led chat show featuring three outspoken women, Samantha Renke, Fats Timbo, and Jay Howard. It’s unapologetically disabled and their stories are powerful, insightful and need to be heard. You’ll also have a laugh too!
What has been your biggest challenge producing this series?
Managing a team was a new experience for me, as I had to manage other people’s workloads as well as my own. My Shooting AP Jake Whittle and Researcher Bianca Amponsah were fantastic, and it was wonderful having a team to bounce ideas off with. You cannot make a series on your own!
What was your favourite part about making it?
I love being on location, so our filming days were definitely my highlight. It was unusual for me to be sat behind viewing monitors rather than a camera, but I really enjoyed the directing experience. I was also really happy we created an environment where our panellists felt comfortable sharing their experiences.
What would your advice be for someone stepping up into a PD role?
Learn to delegate. When you have a lot of responsibility, it can feel like you want to do everything yourself but you have a team for a reason. Utilise other people’s skills, ideas, and experiences and your programme will be better for it.
And lastly, what are your favourite TV shows of all time and what are you watching at the moment?
Gavin and Stacey has a special place in my heart. I have the first Christmas special and behind-the-scenes documentary on DVD and watch it every year.
Doctor Who Confidential is one of the reasons I was inspired to work in TV and I was so happy it was brought back for the most recent series.
I’m currently watching Series 18 of Taskmaster, Rosie Jones is hilarious!
