Dear Mums in telly…

Fri 23 Mar 2018 | Opinion | 1 comment

Dear Mums in telly,

You are amazing.

Of course – the Dads are alright too. And let’s face it, everyone in this industry works bloody hard.

But. As it’s Mother’s Day, and as Talented People was founded by two Mums in TV who know first-hand just how real the juggle is, this is a tribute to all those women who’ve been pregnant on a 14 hour shoot.

  • Women who’ve peeled a sobbing child from their leg to rush to that channel meeting with guilt swallowed, gameface on and eye makeup de-smudged on the tube.
  • Women who’ve had THAT call flashing up from ‘Nursery’ on the phone in the middle of a pitch.
  • Who’ve watched ‘Miss you Mummy’ bathtime videos alone in a crappy hotel at midnight.
  • Who’ve been woken by a colicky baby for the fourth time. The night before master interviews.
  • Who’ve felt the palpable atmosphere in the office when they’ve had to leave for pickup in the middle of a contributor crisis.
  • Who had been mentally (frantically) scrolling through friends or family who could do pick up whilst also dealing with said crisis.
  • Who’ve stressed about telling their Exec they’re having another baby.
  • Who’ve stressed about whether or not to tell an interviewer they are pregnant.
  • Who’ve rowed with their partner about whose job is more important, more stable.
  • Who’ve walked out of a meeting to discover Weetabix still cemented to their cardigan. Bugger.
  • Who’ve worried about what on earth they’re going to do in TV post-baby.
  • Who’ve faced judgement about going back to work too soon. Too late. Not at all.
  • Who’ve spent an unglamorous and secretive 10 mins in the loos of Channel 4 pumping and dumping.
  • Who’ve agonised over whether to mention ‘maternity leave’ on their CV.

We’ve been there. We are there. So let’s support each other, let’s share our stories and let’s continue to do a brilliant job in the industry we love. Even if the life juggle can seem impossible sometimes. For we are Mums, we are multi-tasking legends, we bring more to the table than you can possibly realise. 

And we got this. (Well, we did. Now where did the toddler put it…?)

Talented People is a specialist TV recruitment company set up by Producer/Directors turned Talent Executives Kimberly Godbolt and Rosie Turner, who believe passionately in training, diversity, and equal opportunities for all. Including exhausted Mums, like themselves.

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