COMMISSIONING TEAM
BEN FROW, CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER, UK, PARAMOUNT
Ben is Chief Content Officer, UK, at Paramount, with oversight of 5 and its digital brands, the wider Paramount channel portfolio, and the streaming service Paramount+ UK which launched in June 2022.
Over the past 12 years, Ben has spearheaded a creative transformation that culminated in the channel’s rebrand to 5 in March 2025, uniting the broadcaster’s linear and streaming platforms under one roof. This evolution reflects a decade-long journey of renewal, repositioning the brand as the home of award-winning content that tells the story of modern Britain.
Under his leadership there has been a fundamental shift in 5’s reputation and increased appeal to wider audiences, recognised through a raft of industry accolades including Channel of the Year at the Broadcast and RTS Awards in 2020, a Grierson Award for Suicidal: In Our Own Words, and BAFTA and RTS wins in 2024 for White Nanny, Black Child.
ADRIAN PADMORE, COMMISSIONING EDITOR, UNSCRIPTED, 5 & PARAMOUNT+
Adrian Padmore joined 5 as Commissioning Editor, Factual in May 2017. At 5 he is responsible for commissioning the BAFTA and RTS award winning White Nanny Black Child and the high-profile crime documentary My Wife My Abuser: The Secret Footage. He is also commissioner of popular factual series including Inside the Force, The Amazon with Robson Green and Sue Perkins: Lost in Thailand. Also commissioning for Paramount Plus his current productions include Snatched and Shoot the People, authored by world leading photographer Misan Harriman.
Padmore has also overseen a number of other popular 5 documentaries and series including: Captain Tom: Where Did It All Go Wrong, Andes Plane Crash, Motorway Cops, World’s Strongest Man, Traffic Cops, Who Killed Billie Jo, Lost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger, Secrets of the Royal Palaces and Police Interceptors.
Contact: Adrian.Padmore@paramount.com
DAN LOUW, CONTENT STRATEGY AND COMMISSIONING EDITOR, NON-SCRIPTED UK ORIGINALS, 5 & PARAMOUNT+
Dan works across Factual, Factual Entertainment, and Specialist Factual programming for 5 and its digital portfolio, as well as the streaming service Paramount+.
In 2024, he commissioned hit single documentary, ‘M&S: Back On Top’, ‘Petrol Vs Electric’ and ‘Smart Meters: Should You Get One?’. He has recently focused on true crime documentaries with streamer appeal, like 2024’s ‘Lucy Letby: Did She Really Do It?’, the award-winning ‘Child Snatcher’ and ‘The Philpott Fire: A Very British Horror Story’. He is also responsible for long-running, returning series such as streaming hit 22 Kids & Counting and the multi-award-winning Springtime / Winter On the Farm; as well as launching new hit series like ‘Supermarket Own Brands: The Big Taste Test’ and ‘Taste Test Restaurant’.
Contact: Daniel.Louw@paramount.com
DENISE SENEVIRATNE, COMMISSIONING EDITOR, NON-SCRIPTED UK ORIGINALS, 5 & PARAMOUNT +
Denise Seneviratne is the Commissioning Editor for Non-Scripted UK Originals at 5 and Paramount+. She reports to Chief Content Officer Ben Frow and is responsible for expanding Paramount’s factual slate.
Her recent commissions for 5 include Diana’s Wedding Dress, Volcano, Wonders of the Moon, The Sun, and Mysteries of the Pyramids with Dara Ó Briain. She also commissioned the BAFTA-nominated Endurance: Race to the Pole, featuring Ben Fogle and Dwayne Fields, and its follow-up series, Livingstone: Search for the Nile.
In the Natural History space, Seneviratne commissioned the two-part series Killer Crocs and Hippo Watch with Steve Backshall. She also commissions popular series such as The Yorkshire Vet and its spin-off The Greens, as well as Happy Campers, Big Brits Go Large, Inside Tesco: 24/7, and Wife on Strike. She was instrumental in growing the channel’s successful Bargain Loving Brits brand.
Seneviratne commissions True Crime content for 5 and Paramount+. Recent examples include The Predator for Paramount+, Inheritance: Murder in the Family – The Thomas Kwan Affair, The Pelicot Trial, and the true crime series Killer at the Crime Scene and Killer Makes a Call.
Before joining Paramount in 2019, she executive-produced Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes for ITV, as well as Meet the Humans and Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents for the BBC. She also served as Series Editor on BBC Two’s Reverse Missionaries and Channel 4’s Secret Life of 4 Year-Olds.
Contact: Denise.Seneviratne@paramount.com
FEDERICO RUIZ, COMMISSIONING EDITOR, 5 & PARAMOUNT+
Federico Ruiz works across a wide range of unscripted programming for 5 and its digital portfolio, as well as the streaming service Paramount+. Reporting to Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, UK, at Paramount, Ruiz is interested in a wide and varied range of unscripted output, including crime, history, gritty 9pm access docu-series, formats and adventure/travel. He also looks after the morning shows on 5, including the hugely popular Jeremy Vine show.
Ruiz has commissioned shows such as the award-winning The Incident Room, Into the Congo with Ben Fogle, Trauma Room One, Body In The Bag and The Girl In the Box.
Ruiz joined Paramount from Firecracker Films where he held the role of Head of Factual Entertainment, exec producing a wide range of programming; including multiple seasons of hit series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings US. Previous credits include TOWIE, Coach Trip and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Now!
Contact: Federico.Ruiz@paramount.com
GREG BARNETT, COMMISSIONING COMMISSIONING EDITOR, UK ORIGINALS, 5 & PARAMOUNT+
Greg Barnett works across Factual, Factual Entertainment and Drama for 5 and its digital portfolio, as well as the streaming service Paramount+. Reporting to Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, UK, at Paramount, Barnett is interested in a wide range of ideas, from access-led popular documentaries and concepts that celebrate national icons or institutions, to scripted thrillers.
In Factual, Barnett has commissioned Coastguard: Search and Rescue SOS; Ben Fogle: New Lives In The Wild; Reuben Owen: Life In The Dales; Our Great Yorkshire Life; Foxes: Their Secret World and The Cruise: Fun Loving Brits At Sea.
In Factual Entertainment, he has commissioned Cruising with Jane McDonald; Stock Aitken Waterman: Legends of Pop; Joanna Lumley: In My Own Words; and Remembering The 70’s: Those Were The Days. Barnett’s drama commissions include Suspects; Lie With Me; Riptide and Heat.
For Paramount+, Barnett commissioned Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible and Millionaire Holiday Home Swap.
Contact: Greg.Barnett@paramount.com
GUY DAVIES, CONSULTANT EDITOR FOR COMMISSIONING, 5
Guy Davies has been Commissioning Editor, Factual at 5 since September 2013. He is responsible for commissioning a diverse slate of peak-time programming across the channel in all factual genres.
At 5, Davies has commissioned three world exclusive series with Michael Palin sending the much-loved presenter to North Korea then Iraq, and to Nigeria 2023; the award-winning 999 Critical Condition; BAFTA, RTS and Grierson Award nominees Rich House Poor House and The Accused , and other long-running documentary series and formats. He also commissions successful blue light content such as Police Suspect No.1 and Forensic Murder Scene. He recently brought James May to 5 for ‘The Great Explorers’, and also commissioned Michael Portillo’s travel series.
He has also commissioned a range of box sets and feature docs for Paramount+ including the series Monster: The Loch Ness Mystery and Flight MH370. Davies’ other commissions have included the Grierson winning Suicidal: In Their Own Words, the RTS Best Single Documentary winner and BAFTA nominee Raped: My Story; and Edinburgh TV Awards Documentary of the Year winner The Abused.
Contact: Guy.Davis@paramount.com
KATE ANSELL, FACTUAL COMMISSIONING EDITOR, 5 & PARAMOUNT+
Kate Ansell joined Paramount in 2022 and is responsible for a broad range of factual programming for 5 and its digital portfolio, as well as the streaming service Paramount+ UK.
Ansell has commissioned several series, including Casualty 24/7, GPs Behind Closed Doors, and Yorkshire Great and Small with Dan and Helen, as well as Skin A&E for the digital channel, 5Star.
Her recent commissions also include Scams: Don't Get Caught Out and Prince Harry: My Terrible Year, as well as a number of other consumer and royal documentaries.
Before her current role at Paramount, Ansell was an Executive Producer at Firecrest Films, and an Assistant Commissioner for BBC Daytime and Early Peak.
Contact: Kate.Ansell@paramount.com
KIT MOREY, COMMISSIONING EDITOR, 5 & PARAMOUNT+
Kit Morey (they/them) joined 5 in 2019 and is responsible for commissioning fresh, exciting content in the Popular Factual space. They have ordered hundreds of hours of prime time shows for 5, including Toy Hospital, The Hospital: Life on The Line, Motorhoming with Merton & Webster, Million Pound Motorhomes, Lost Dogs with Clare Balding and Sally Lindsay’s Posh Sleepover not to mention RTS nominated Air Fryer shows. They have also ordered a range of returnable formats such as Ben Fogle’s Make a New Life in The Country, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, Rich Kids Go Skint and The Hotel Inspector.
Executive producer credits include ITV’s Real Full Monty while at Spun Gold and Channel 4’s Meat The Family as Head of Popular Factual at Rise Films. They have also held Executive Producer roles at betty, Shine, Lambent and twenty twenty, overseeing C4’s One Born Every Minute, Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners and the first series of First Dates. Series production credits include Famous, Rich and Jobless, Babies in the Office and Would Like to Meet for BBC3, BBC1 and BBC2 respectively.
Contact: Kit.Morey@paramount.com
LUCY WILLIS, COMMISSIONING EDITOR, FACTUAL, 5 & PARAMOUNT+
Lucy is a Commissioning Editor at 5 and Paramount +, where she looks after a wide-ranging factual slate including documentaries, popular factual and history. She has been responsible for commissioning a number of the channel's peak-time programmes including Warship: Life at Sea; Inside the Tower of London as well as the stripped history event The Great Plague and The Disappearance of Shannon Matthews.
Lucy was also behind the major eight-part drama documentary series Eight Days That Made Rome; Diana: Seven Days That Shook The Windsor’s; and the Cotswolds with Pam Ayres. Lucy's most recent commission was a Secrets of Our Universe with Tim Peake fronted by the British Astronaut.
Contact: Lucy.Willis@paramount.com
PAUL TESTAR, COMMISSIONING EDITOR, DRAMA, 5 & PARAMOUNT+
Paul Testar joined Paramount in January 2022 working across the 5 and Paramount+ scripted slates. He works closely with Deputy Director of Programmes Sebastian Cardwell expanding and overseeing the scripted slates on both 5 and Paramount+.
Since joining Paramount, Testar has commissioned over one hundred hours of drama series including Ellis, The Hardacres, Coma and The Inheritance for 5 as well as The Killing Kind, The Serial Killer’s Wife and Curfew for Paramount+.
Before joining Paramount, Testar was a producer for Mammoth Screen with credits including The Serpent (BBC1/Netflix) and The Tower (ITV). He has also been a script editor on numerous shows for the BBC, ITV, Netflix, Amazon and Channel 4.
Contact: Paul.Testar@paramount.com
SEBASTIAN CARDWELL, HEAD OF DRAMA, DEPUTY CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER, UK, PARAMOUNT
Sebastian Cardwell is Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK, at Paramount which includes 5 and its digital brands, the wider Paramount channel portfolio, and the streaming service Paramount+ UK. Sebastian is responsible for devising strategy across the portfolio, with a specific focus on drama and original content.
Cardwell first joined 5 in 2011 and has been instrumental in 5’s continued evolution into a destination for high-quality originations across a range of genres, with an emphasis on drama and original commissions in peak slots.
Spearheading 5’s increased investment in drama, Cardwell has changed the face of the genre on the channel, giving rise to hit-rating titles such as All Creatures Great and Small, Penance, and The Drowning. More recently, Cardwell has commissioned The Teacher and The Inheritance and Madame Blanc. Before his current role at 5, Cardwell was Digital Controller, responsible for the day-to-day running of 5’s digital channels
Contact: Sebastian.Cardwell@paramount.com
