Hot Shots 2023: Anna Costello

A secondary school teacher-turned-sitcom writer, Anna Costello is going places. She has joined as a staff writer for the fifth series of Bad Education, where she combines the experience of her former career with the craft of her new one.

It’s already been quite the journey for Costello. Hailing from a working-class family from County Durham, she began writing scripts alongside her day job. The graft quickly paid off: she was nominated for the All3Media New Comedy Script Award in 2021, and her comedy pilot, Dead Canny, was broadcast on Dave in August 2022 as part of UKTV’s Underrepresented Writers’ Initiative.

Her talent was also marked with the Royal Television Society’s Rising Star Award 2023 (North East and Borders), and she earned a nomination for The Writers’ Guild’s Best TV Situational Comedy Award 2023.

Exciting things are on the horizon for Costello: her sitcom pilot has been commissioned by the BBC for development with Hat Trick Productions and Sea & Sky Pictures. She also has a comedy drama in development with Schnoobert Productions. Both are stories based in the north-east.

Head of comedy for Tiger Aspect Productions David Simpson says: “Anna stands out as a real talent, not just because she is very funny, but because of how perceptive and considered she is. She has an innate ability to know where the right balance is and to see the bigger picture to create a robust, well-rounded show – that is a real skill.

“I’ve no doubt Anna is going to go on to more and more successes.”