Hot Shots 2024: Joe Gardner

Richard Osman’s House Of Games, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Wheel Of Fortune, Impossible, The Weakest Link, Jeopardy! – it would probably be easier to list the popular entertainment formats Joe Gardner hasn’t yet worked on in his short few years in TV.

At 18, Gardner dropped out of university with a dream to fast-track his entry into TV via Banijay’s Creative Development Intern scheme. Picked from more than 1,000 applicants, development teams benefited from his impressive knowledge of formats and programming.

Kerri Reid, an executive producer on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Jeopardy! and Wheel Of Fortune, says she was instantly struck by Gardner’s “desire to outperform his role” and his “infectious enthusiasm and drive”.

Crediting him with reinvigorating Millionaire questions with a “refreshing and original perspective”, she adds: “Joe takes the brief he’s given and looks at ways to expand it and go beyond what is expected of him. He demonstrates a professionalism well beyond his years.”

Glasgow-born Gardner has also made waves as assistant producer on US gameshows Celebrity Name That Tune and Beat Shazam – both of which were shot in Ireland – and helper to nail the house style of the Australian version of The 1% Club, on which he was asked to return for series two.

“Joe has cemented himself as a reliable, trustworthy and ambitious creative, working - often remotely – with teams based in London, Manchester, Dublin and Sydney,” notes Reid. “His writing is engaging, and his lateral and comedic thinking has been commended by both on- and off-screen talent.”

It has now led to him working on one of the most coveted jobs in entertainment TV: series three of The Traitors UK.