Hot Shots 2022: Alice Ramsey

After 12 years in talent development, Alice Ramsey changed gears last year with a move into commissioning drama from the north of England.

In running the BBC Drama Room, working with disabled writers with the Writers Access Group and developing under-represented northern writers for Northern Voices, she championed many emerging and diverse voices.

Kat Rose-Martin, a working-class playwright from Bradford, is one such example, having been scouted by Ramsey, brought to the Writersroom to hone her TV skills and bestowed the inaugural Kay Mellor Fellowship. Ramsey secured the writer her first TV credit on Holby City and has now brought her in for two episodes of the rebooted Waterloo Road.

BBC Drama commissioning editor Jo McClellan applauds Ramsey’s proactive commitment to northern England and says she admires her “talent for spotting opportunities and making them happen”.

She adds: “Alice is always finding ways to help strengthen a show, whether that’s finding more under-represented writers and directors to champion or connecting smaller indies with larger indies. I’m always blown away by her passion, knowledge and work ethic.”

On her first greenlit commission, Ramsey is working with the first deaf writer of a mainstream BBC drama, which also has a deaf lead, and will stay true to her roots by nurturing the writer through the Writersroom programme while maintaining her commissioning duties.

McClellan suggests future projects will benefit from this rich mix of skills. “Alice’s background in talent development means she not only has strong editorial instincts on projects but also has a strong understanding of what a writer might need while going through this highly unique experience of writing an original drama.”