Alf Lawrie

I am a BAFTA-winning filmmaker and former Channel 4 Head of Factual Entertainment who ran a £95m department. I oversaw many of the biggest - and sometimes controversial - titles in British television, from The Great British Bake Off to Married At First Sight. And I specialised in attracting millions of viewers to programmes on complex topics - from pensions reform to homelessness, social mobility to the justice system.

On climate change in particular: I was Channel 4's lead, working with fellow broadcasters to shift on-screen narratives from a narrow focus on "individual actions" to a more worthwhile vision of systemic change. I launched a series of acclaimed, award-winning programmes, prompting The Guardian to declare "Channel 4 has morphed into the nation's climate conscience".

I have been following AI since 2019, when I recognised the potential of synthetic media. To draw attention to its power, I conceived and co-wrote The Queen's Alternative Christmas Message, which was broadcast in 2020 - without warning viewers it was fake. Global press coverage ensued.

Expertise

Making the public notice

20 years competing for scarce attention - judging the impact of every word on a poster or press release; overseeing multi-million pound marketing and press campaigns; provoking deliberate controversy to communicate important messages.

Making the public care

Primetime, populist storytelling - finding the human interest in abstract issues, turning complex ideas into narratives that make millions keep watching.

Making the public trust

Contentious subjects communicated with impeccable accuracy. Analytical training: PPE at Oxford, Silver Medal in the British Physics Olympiad, & writing for the Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought.

Working With You