Bafta honour for Blackpool TV producers

Saturday Night Takeaway executive producer Pete Ogden (left) and series producer Saul Fearnley (second left) with fellow crew members line producer Marcus McKinley (centre back), writer Andy Milligan (second right) and series producer Diego Rincon (right) at the BAFTA awards

Former Blackpool Sixth Form students Pete Ogden and Saul Fearnley were among those given the award for their work on popular reality show Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway at the Royal Festival Hall in London on May 14.

Pete, 38, works as executive producer for the show, while Saul, 39, works as series producer.

Pete said: “I have worked for four years on Takeaway and I honestly think I’ve got the best job in telly.

“It’s happy, family entertainment. It’s like the shows that I used to love as a kid.

“It was an amazing night. You’re sat amongst the most famous people feeling totally out of place. I was sat just a few seats from Ant and Dec and I spent my time with them.

“They are amazing to work with. They’re generous, funny and professional. They love doing Takeaway. I feel lucky to work with them.”

The Takeaway team took home the Best Entertainment award, scoring victory over Britain’s Got Talent, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, and Strictly Come Dancing.

Pete, who moved from Blackpool to central London in 2001, said: “What’s brilliant is that this series of Takeaway has won a National Television Award, a Tric Award, a Royal Television Society Award, and now a Bafta.

“We work hard, just as everybody else worked hard, and we feel really proud.

“The trouble is I go ‘right, how are we going to do better next year?’”

Saul, who has also worked on the show for four years, said: “As the series producer I look after all of the live items in the show. We produce all the audience surprises and everything that happens live in the show.

“This year has been an amazing year.

“We had convinced ourselves we weren’t going to win and then when our names got called out there was genuine disbelief. It was an incredible feeling.

“I love working in TV. It’s something I got into by accident but it’s the best job in the world.

“I’m incredible proud of the team. Everybody works so hard.

“We always have a lot of fun but we’re always pushing ourselves and there’s always another step you can take.

“It’s an honour to work with them and it’s an honour to work with Ant and Dec.

“They’re the hardest working talents I’ve ever worked with, and that’s why they win the awards.”