YouTube Originals commissioner Newton Velji has joined In the Footsteps of Killers and Gamesmaster indie Alaska TV.
Velji takes up the role of creative director at the indie, following co-founder Ian Lamarra’s departure last month to launch start-up Soho Studios Entertainment.
As You Tube Originals’ senior creative executive, commissioning, Velji oversaw series such as The Mandela Project, Race Around Britain with Munya and Seat at the Table with Jack Harries.
One of the TV Collective’s ‘Breakthrough Leaders’ of 2021, Velji was previously BBC Studios’ head of development for factual entertainment and events and prior to that executive produced and developed BBC3 shows such as Hot Property and Heartbreak Holiday.
She has worked in development for ITV and indies Fulwell 73 (E4’s Pants on Fire), Initial (ITV2’s The Almost Impossible Gameshow), Boundless (World’s Toughest Jobs), Fremantle (The Apprentice), Crackit Productions, Red Planet Pictures, NBC and Monkey Kingdom.
Velji has also collaborated with talent such as Yung Filly, Graham Norton, Alan Carr and Charlie Brooker.
Alaska is behind Snap Original commission I Want To Get Better with Jameela Jamil [w/t] and is working on a second series of Channel 4’s In The Footsteps of Killers [main picture].
