Leading TV Producer comes to Teesside

A TV producer who has worked with industry heavy weights such as Simon Cowell and Cilla Black has joined the University as a visiting professor.

Tom Gutteridge, who also produced the BBC hit Challenge Anneka - has moved back to his native North East and is working with the University's media production students on a series of tailor made events.

And the brains behind TV formats such as Robot Wars and Star for a Night - a talent show which discovered internationally successful singer Joss Stone - says he is thrilled to be able to give support to Teesside students.

Relishing every moment Tom, from Northumberland, said: 'It really feels like I have the opportunity to give something back to my community. I'll be giving lectures, seminars and working with students on professional pitches.

'I enjoy helping develop new talent and to be able to do that in the North East - which has given me so much - is really wonderful. I've already given a couple of lectures, and I am relishing every moment.'

While Middlesbrough might be a long way from Los Angeles - where Tom lived while heading the American Idol production company FremantleMedia - he says he finds the North East a hugely inspiring place.

He added: 'It's great to be back. There's nowhere quite like this region, although I am missing the LA sunshine. Heading FremantleMedia was a tough job, and I wanted to get back to the UK and do something more hands on.

'It was fantastic to be involved in shows like American Idol. Simon Cowell, and everyone involved, are hugely talented. They really fly the flag for this country, because it is a largely English team.

'But I wanted to come up with my own programmes and pursue other interests, and lecturing at the University of Teesside is part of that. There are opportunities out there for young British talent, and I want to give Teesside students the right skills to get ahead.'

Tom will be working as a visiting professor alongside running his new Newcastle-based production company Standing Stone, which is working on a new dating show for Sky One which will bring Cilla Black back to our screens.

Inspiring Teesside students 'I love being involved in the creative process of television. It would be great if I could inspire young people at the University and they came up with something exciting and innovative.

'In the past, when I've worked on shows like Robot Wars, it has been incredible to see them picked up across the world, and spawn whole new genres. 'When we made Challenge Anneka in 1989 it was the first-ever reality show and led to Ground Force, Changing Rooms and almost everything else you see of that genre.

'I hope to inspire students to challenge themselves to come up with new groundbreaking formats. There's a lot of young talent at Teesside and who knows, the students might be able to come up with something as groundbreaking as one of these shows - what an achievement that would be.'

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