Hot Shots 2022: Alice Boorman

Versatility is Alice Boorman’s key strength and she has jumped seamlessly between genres and roles.

Her career switched gears at BBC TV current affairs, where she was promoted from assistant producer to acting head of development within nine months, after senior management recognised her leadership ability and entrusted her to deliver results during the pandemic.

More than 20 commissions, spanning 30-plus hours, were delivered, including BBC3’s The Instagram E­ffect, a single Boorman originated, developed and pitched, and which became the division’s highest-rated doc for BBC3.

Boorman has consistently demonstrated her drive, becoming one of three people selected for the BBC Development Trainee Scheme in 2015/16, out of 900 applicants, securing a mentorship with BBC history commissioning editor Simon Young on her own initiative, and pursuing 72 Films for a job opportunity.

This approach has also manifested itself in her projects – she spent days in the National Archive to find primary sources required to win a commission, as well as producing two festival-winning short fiction films in her spare time.

Earlier in her career, Boorman moved on from developing the first series of Wall to Wall’s BBC/Netflix co-pro Glow Up: Britain’s Next Makeup Star to producing it, and she is making similar headway at 72. Assisting on high-profile Amazon competition format 007’s Road To A Million, Boorman is also preparing for a similar dual role on one of the six UK and US commissions she has helped secure.

72 Films head of development Silke Abele says: “Alice is an incredibly hard-working, genuine and confident team player, who can put her hand to any task. She is always bursting with ideas, brings flair to pitch decks, is an excellent writer and has great editorial instincts.”