Meet the Team
BEN GALE
Managing Director / Executive Producer
Ben held roles as the BBC's Commissioning Editor for Features, Director of Programmes at Channel 5 and worked in the independent sector at companies including Maverick, Wall-to-Wall and Lion TV. He was Series Editor of the first series of Who Do You Think You Are? and the BBC's Executive Producer of the first Bafta-winning series of The Choir. He commissioned hits including Don't Tell the Bride, The Real Hustle and Nigella Express. While running BBC Bristol Factual he oversaw the creation of DIY SOS: The Big Build, the launch of Nigel Slater on BBC ONE and the multi-award winning Protecting Our Children on BBC TWO. While Director of Programmes at Maverick, Ben Executive Produced BBC Three's Growing Up Down's which won Groundbreaking Programme at the CDN Awards and was nominated for an International Emmy.
MADDIE WILLIAMS
Accountant
Maddie has been with Little Gem for four years. With a wealth of experience as a production accountant on a huge range of factual productions, she’s responsible for all Little Gem’s company and production accounting.
SHOLA SITTABEY
Head of Production
Shola began her career at Avalon Television working in Comedy and Light Entertainment. She’s since worked across all genres, including drama and live athletics, and spent two years working in TV and film in Rome. Shola has worked on a number of successful returnable formats, including the first series of A Place in the Sun, Great Canal Journeys and Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages. Alongside the Managing Director, Shola set up and ran Kindling Media, which produced Escape to the Chateau and Escape to the Chateau DIY.
MABEL HOWELL
Production Co-ordinator
Before joining Little Gem, Mabel gained work experience with TwoFour, Studio Lambert and Sky Sports. She worked on BBC Two’s hit show, Race Across The World as well as Sky Sport’s Soccer Am. After a stint in global production company Tag’s marketing and social media team, Mabel joined Little Gem where she’s helping out on productions as well as providing assistance to the whole team.
TAMMY HALE
Senior Development Producer/
Series Producer
Tammy has been a feature of Little Gem for 7 years. Starting as a Development AP, she’s now a Senior Development Producer and Series Producer. She divides her time between development and production. Most recently, she pitched, developed and series produced Wedding Valley, a charming 10 part series for UKTV documenting the world of weddings in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley. Previously she series produced Channel 4’s How to Lose Weight Well and produced the RTS and Grierson-nominated BBC1 film, Surviving the Virus: My Brother & Me as well as How to Paint the Mona Lisa for More 4. Before Little Gem, Tammy had development and production stints at Remarkable and Silver River.