As part of the acclaimed Fresh Cuts Strand for Disability History Month 2024, Stephanie Symington-Kurth makes their directorial debut for ITV, with her profile series Date My Nan, which follows disabled make-up artists as they give their nan a glam transformation before sending them on a blind date.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself?
“Works in TV and Likes the Gym” is how I tend to summarise myself, as these aspects take up a good 90% of my life. The other 10% consists of food, any sort of Arts and crafts, watching anime and hanging out with my Dogs, Olive and Link. It’s hard not to make this sound like a dating profile, but I am, in fact, happily married.
I’m very happily living in Scotland, but will work anywhere in the world and my goal over the next few years is to see as many countries as possible! Next Up is Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
Did you always want to work in TV? How did you land your first role?
I have always wanted to work in TV. Thankfully, my Mum and Dad always supported my dream and encouraged me to pursue it. I didn’t always get the same support from School, I actually once had a career advisor tell me to be more realistic with my ambitions. With the dream of being the next Louis Theroux, I went on to study Media at University which I adored. After uni, I worked part time in a shop, applying for any and every job I could find with no luck. I then started getting a lot of unpaid work experience at the BBC and STV before landing my first paid contract (it was only for one day) but not long after I got offered a 3-month contract and I’ve been in the industry ever since!
Why did you apply for Fresh Cuts this year? The thing that really stood out to me was that they were “not looking for the obvious or Cliché” disabled stories. Too often, diverse people only get one narrative on screen, and this needs to change. I’m very passionate about getting more disabled representation on screen, and that message just really spoke to me. You always have to hustle to get work as a freelancer – so I threw my hat in the ring. Never in a million years did I think I would get it, but I’m so grateful that I did!
What is your series about?
‘Date My Nan’ follows disabled make-up artists as they give their nan a glam transformation before sending them on a blind date.
What has been your biggest challenge producing this series? Do I have to pick just one? Stepping up in a new role is all about challenges. Every new role is full of them and it’s what I love about taking one on, there is always so much to learn, and it’s so exciting! If I had to pick one thing – it would be casting for a dating show. We wanted our dates to be compatible, as well as all of the other criteria you have to think about. Thankfully our Casting Researcher Chloe was a superstar. The whole team was very invested in making sure the contributors would have fun. Having never worked on a dating show before, it was a new layer to the casting process.
What was your favourite part about making it?
Again, do I have to pick just one thing? The format was wonderful, the contributors were fab, and the team was amazing and talented. I loved every bit of this process. Truly. But it was such a pinch-me moment walking into the studio on that first day as a PD. It was the best feeling.
What would your advice be for someone stepping up into a PD role?
Have a strong vision of the final outcome. Let that shape everything. Then, if you have to make a decision, just think, “Will this take me closer to that final vision or push me further away from it?”
And lastly, what are your favourite TV shows of all time and what are you watching at the moment?
Omg I could go on for hours! So I’ll narrow it down. In my opinion, Bojack Horseman is a perfect series. I also have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Game of Thrones – it’s an all-time favourite! I love Bake Off, anything that Louis Theroux makes, Masterchef, Kitchen Nightmares, Bob’s Burgers, Dancing On Ice and Drag Race. Right now my husband and I are watching Married at First Sight (I’m a sucker for any dating/ wedding shows), and we’ve not long finished Attack on Titan.
Date My Nan is out now on ITVX and ITV”s YouTube Channel
