Our Judges

Nazir Afzal OBE, was Chief Crown Prosecutor for NW England and formerly Director in London. He was Chief Executive of the country’s Police & Crime Commissioners and most recently, National Adviser to the Welsh Government. During a 30 year career, has prosecuted the most high profile cases in the country & advised on many others and led nationally on several legal topics including Violence against Women & Girls, child sexual abuse, and honour based violence. He had responsibility for more than 100,000 prosecutions each year. His prosecutions of the so called Rochdale grooming gang and hundreds of others were groundbreaking and changed the landscape of child protection.

Kate Ansell is a Commissioning Editor for Channel 5. She is responsible for a range of factual series and single films, including Casualty 24/7, Secrets of the Forest and Depp vs Heard: The Winners and Losers. Her slate also includes a number of true crime films.

After a stint in TV advertising, Robbie helped establish Dentsu entertainment business The Story Lab in 2014. Robbie went on to broker an innovative partnership with Global to co-produce podcasts and his first credit as executive producer was the number one hit Hunting Ghislaine with John Sweeney. Robbie joined the production company Free Turn Entertainment in January 2023 and is responsible for its audio slate..He is a long-suffering Evertonian and resides in East London with his cockney better half. Robbie has fully converted to a diet of pie, mash and liquor; his order is an infamous "4 & 2”.

Chris Atkins is a BAFTA-nominated film-maker. His documentaries Taking Liberties and Starsuckers were critically acclaimed and made front-page news. He directed the documentary film Who Killed the KLF? and has also worked extensively with Dispatches for Channel 4 and BBC Panorama. Following his release from prison, he is now back in North London, filming documentaries and writing.

Kevin created the CrimeCon brand in 2016 and has helped grow the U.S. installment into the largest true crime event in the world. In addition to the U.S. and UK events, CrimeCon has also expanded to include an annual CrimeCruise, a digital community called crimeHQ, the CLUE Awards, and a variety of smaller events.

Ruth Barnes is the co-founder of Chalk + Blade, an award winning podcast production company founded in 2017 and the first podcast specialist production company in the UK. Ruth leads a team of award winning ex-BBC producers, making shows ranging from investigative true crime narratives to some of the BBC's best loved entertainment formats. Hunting Ghislaine with John Sweeney for Global, about Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, was a breakout hit topping the charts in the UK and garnering critical acclaim across the broadsheets - a film version has been optioned by Eleventh Hour Films.

Emma leads the ILP global creative team, working with authors and producers to bring great stories to new audiences via stage, screen and audio. She also leads the brand strategy for ILP and its authors, working closely with agents, publishers, estates and fans to elevate their legacy. Emma has over 20 years’ experience as a creative producer.

As Head of Development at Stolen Picture, Emma developed multiple book-to-screen adaptations for TV and film as well as original comedy, drama and genre projects. Her credits include Truthseekers (Amazon Prime) and Out of Her Mind (BBC2). Emma spent over a decade developing content for Sky’s biggest entertainment brands and started her career at Paramount Comedy.

Kate is the UK’s leading True Crime TV producer (World’s Most Evil Killers now into its 7th season, How I Caught the Killer & Surviving a Serial Killer to name a few), and internationally recognised producer who under her company Woodcut Media also focuses on specialist factual series, premium & talent led docs, and factual entertainment, working with a multitude of broadcasters such as C4, Channel 5, Sky, Nat Geo, CI, Smithsonian Channel and more.

She is a published author with "The Krays: The Prison Years", a member of the British Screen Forum, and sits on the PACT council.

Darrell is the co-founder and MD of What’s The Story – one of the UK’s most successful Podcast Production Companies. Their shows include 2023 True Crime Award winner ‘The Missing’, telling the stories of long-term missing people. They also make the forensic science show ‘Smoking Gun’ and tracked down the worlds most elusive con-man, in the hit show ‘Con Juan’. Prior to audio, Darrell produced multiple true-crime television documentary series in the UK and the US.

Diana Carter is Commissioning Editor and Head of Talent across the A+E Networks UK. She was appointed to the role of Commissioning Editor in 2015, having joined the company the previous year as Executive Producer on a local version of Dance Mums with Jennifer Ellison, A+E Networks UK’s first localization of an A+E US franchise. Diana has consistently Executive Produced high rating local content. Most recently, Diana Executive Produced Murdertown, the highest rated local commission ever for Crime + Investigation in the UK. Previously, Diana headed up the Production & Development team at MTV Networks Europe and International, responsible for helping to commission consistently top rating local content - from Award Programming to Executive Producing the first MTV global commission of Super Sweet 16. Prior to MTV, Diana spent 10 years in the Indie sector, with the occasional hop across to Network, covering off multiple seasons of Big Brother live programming both for channel and Endemol, T4 regular and special programming.

Wendy became interested in true crime following her Aunts murder in 2007, and now uses her podcast to help other families and victims who need a voice. She is passionate about discovering the truth and giving closure to those that need it. Wendy started her journey in the true crime genre at the first ever CrimeCon in the USA, where she became friends with Shane, who then asked her to co-host his podcast, Foul Play. They have created over 20 seasons together and won the best indie true crime podcast at last years inaugural true crime awards.

As ITV Factual Controller Jo's commissions include BAFTA award winning Long Lost Family/Born Without Trace; Diana Our Mother; Queen's Green Planet; 56 & 63 Up; Crime and Punishment series including an Hour to Catch a Killer with Trevor McDonald, Joanna Lumley's Silk Road and major single docs e.g Kate Garraway Finding Derek; Kevin McDonald’s Story of Us.

At the BBC, Jo was Head of Independent Commissioning and commissioned Masterchef and Hairy Bikers amongst many other shows. Jo Series Directed & Produced BBC One's 7 part award winning documentary series 'Making Babies' and 6 part series- 'The Shop' about Selfridges.

David Collins is one of the UK’s most respected investigative reporters. In 2011, he became the youngest journalist in the history of the British Press Awards to win 'News Reporter of the Year' for helping police convict the serial killer Levi Bellfield for the murder of Milly Dowler. He joined The Sunday Times as an investigative reporter in 2015, joining the Insight team. In 2022 he won the Paul Foot Award for investigative journalism for his work on the murder of Agnes Wanjiru by a British soldier, and the George Orwell Special Prize for the same story. He is currently northern editor for The Sunday Times based in Manchester.

Dr Sohom Das (MBChB, BSc, MSc, MRCPsych) is an NHS doctor, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, YouTuber, presenter and author from London. He has trained in a wide variety of mental health specialties. His current specialty involves the crossroads of offending and severe mental illness. In his role, Sohom assesses and rehabilitates mentally disordered offenders in prisons, courts and in special secure psychiatric units, such as Broadmoor Hospital, that are reserved for the most dangerous and violent mentally ill patients. He is an experienced expert witness, who regularly provides evidence on defendants in Criminal Court, including the Old Bailey.

Kerry Daynes is the UK’s best-known and most trusted Forensic Psychologist. With nearly 30 years spent as one of the most sought-after professionals in the business, her work has taken her from police interview rooms and the witness box to the cells of maximum-security prisons and wards of secure hospitals.

She is also the go-to psychology expert for true crime audiences around the globe. Kerry is perhaps most recognised as 'The Profiler' on the UK and USA Discovery channels but appears and presents regularly on British and international television networks.

Not only does she bring knowledge and experience gained throughout a truly remarkable frontline career, but she also has a passion for telling sensitive, nuanced, scientifically accurate yet accessible real-life stories. Her best-selling memoirs, ‘The Dark Side Of The Mind’ and the Golden Dagger nominated ‘What Lies Buried’ received widespread acclaim, are currently being adapted for TV drama and have inspired a brand new generation of aspiring forensic psychologists.

Vicky Etchells is Head of News and Factual Podcasts for Global. She oversees a slate of original, ambitious factual podcasts with high profile presenters and wide audience reach. She’s spent the last 10 years as part of the senior leadership team at LBC, the UK’s largest commercial news talk radio station covering some of the biggest stories of our time including several general elections, the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis.

She has won dozens of top industry awards for documentaries and factual content including a special recognition award from the UN for an investigation into modern day slavery.

Sandra is a Head of Production at Message Heard, as well as Executive Producer and story editor for Message Heard originals and co-productions. Sandra has crafted podcasts and radio content for the Canadian broadcasting corporation, the United Nations and the guardian, among others.

Alexander Gardiner is CEO of Rare Television, a company that makes popular documentaries for broadcasters in the US, UK and Ireland. Comfortable in all areas from modern aviation to true crime, key Rare TV titles include Ice Airport Alaska for the Smithsonian Channel, Digging for Britain for the BBC and a crime slate for six different channels. As well as heading a variety of production companies over the past 20 years, Alex has executive produced a wide range of programmes ranging from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! to the exposure of British TV legend Jimmy Savile as a sexual predator.

Lisa Howells has been a journalist in consumer media for over two decades, working on some of the biggest-selling magazines in the UK. In 2019, she was part of the creation and launch team for Crime Monthly, a new kind of true-crime magazine, focussing on news, investigations, campaigns for change and survivors’ stories. As Assistant Editor, she has since helped it grow into one of the most respected crime titles in the country with a truly dedicated readership. Lisa is also a regular chair at industry events, and the co-host of CrimeCon UK’s Book Club.

Louise is a Sony Award winning journalist, TV & radio presenter, documentary maker and author - specialising in crime and investigations. In 2020 Louise published her first book, Stolen Lives, which is an investigation into human trafficking in the UK. Her work has seen her report on unlicensed minicabs, girl gangs, organised crime, modern slavery, female bouncers, HIV in young people and has more than a decade of experience in news, current affairs, radio and TV production, and documentaries.

Louise currently hosts a breakfast show on BBC regional radio, and TV credits include BBC One’s The One Show, Watchdog, Watchdog Daily, Inside Out, ITV London News, ITN, and Channel 5’s Celebrity Trolls: We’re Coming to Get You.

Louise has worked with Woodcut Media many times, voicing their acclaimed series Killer in My Family, and producing The Krays: The Prison Years. Louise also worked with the team for her investigative crime documentaries for London Live.

Lorraine is an award-winning Scottish television presenter, journalist and author, best known for her ITV show, Lorraine. Recently she has also hosted documentaries on the Lockerbie disaster and Dunblane tragedy. During 2024, Lorraine will be celebrating her 40th year in television. Lorraine has also been a regular contributor to various magazines and newspapers. 

Image credited to ITV Lorraine 

Detective Inspector Steve Keogh’s decorated 30-year career in the Metropolitan Police started in 1991- he spent most of it as a detective before finishing as a Senior Investigating Officer. He joined New Scotland Yard’s elite Anti-Terrorist Branch in 2002 and in 2005 he received a commendation from the then Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, for the work he carried out on the London 7/7 Bombings. In 2009 he joined New Scotland Yard’s Murder Investigation Team where he remained for 12 years, building up a vast knowledge of what it takes to catch killers and bring them to justice.

Steve then turned his hand to writing, and has authored two brilliant books - 'Murder Investigation Team - How Killers are Really Caught' and 'Murder Investigation Team - Jack The Ripper', taking readers into the intricacies of the investigation, comparing how the investigation was run, and how it would be now.

Ian Lamarra is the Chief Creative Officer and Founder of Soho Studios Entertainment. Previously founder of Alaska TV and Creative Director at Tiger Aspect and Avalon, Ian created the Award nominated ‘In the footsteps of killers’ series for Channel 4, starring Emilia Fox and Professor David Wilson. Executive Producer Playboy Bunny Murders ITV and Creator of In The Footsteps of Killer.

He created and launched ‘If It Bleeds It Leads’ podcast with Emilia and David. Other true crime titles he devised and produced include Damian Lewis : Spy Wars and Return to Dunblane with Lorraine Kelly. He also initiated and chaired the recent True Crime round table with Broadcast to discuss the duty of care guidelines around true crime content.

Steve Lanham is Head of Podcasts for History Hit and has 13 years experience in audio and podcasting. He has been with the company since 2020, leading the growth of the network to nine shows (including Dan Snow's History Hit, The Ancients, Betwixt the Sheets and After Dark) and the Network of the Year Silver at the British Podcast Awards 2023. Previous to that he was at BBC Radio 4 as part of the commissioning team behind hit shows You're Dead to Me, Grounded with Louis Theroux and Evil Genius with Russell Kane.

Ciara has worked in the publishing industry for over 15 years, working across Hachette, Penguin Random House and has spent the last 7 years working at Bonnier Books UK, the UK’s fastest growing book publisher. Bonnier adult imprints publish stories for every bookshelf – home to both emerging talent and iconic names and publishing bestselling non-fiction across every genre.

As Publishing Director for John Blake, the No.1 true crime book publisher in the UK, Ciara is an advocate for building a representative list for all readers as well as nurturing their expert talent to maintain their reputation across the industry.

Mike heads up Audioboom's UK Content team, managing partnerships with some of the biggest podcasts in the country, from Redhanded and F1: Beyond the Grid to UK True Crime and No Such Thing As A Fish. He's also responsible for the output of the Audioboom Studios team, who create original podcast concepts including Devils in the Dark and Killers, Cults & Queens.

Since joining WBD over 4 years ago, Romy has looked after 100s of hours of content across both discovery+ and linear brands. Romy has worked with producers to deliver many ambitious crime series and singles including Faking It, the Deadliest franchise, Jimmy Savile: The People Who Knew, The Big Swindle, The Real Death In Paradise. At the launch of discovery+, Romy oversaw the scaling up of the Faking It format, crafting a series of one-off specials tackling the most-high profile and notorious stories of recent years. Faking It: Jimmy Savile became one of the biggest subscription drivers on the service in the UK & Ireland across its first month. Spanning multiple genres, including crime, documentary, medical and home, Romy has overseen a broad range of content including The Bad Skin Clinic, now in its sixth series, Charlotte Church’s Dream Build, The Woodland Workshop and The Yorkshire Auction House.

Stuart is an Executive Producer at Arrow Media, one of the largest true crime producers in television. From crafting talent led singles, to producing true crime podcasts and creating successful returning series, Stuart has worked with major broadcasters in both the UK and US and has extensive experience across the true crime genre.

Ronke Phillips is a multi-award winning journalist. She is currently Senior Correspondent at ITV News London working on big investigations and breaking news stories including, the murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, of Stephen Lawrence and Victoria Climbie, the July 7th bombings of London in 2007, the murder of Lee Rigby, the recent terrorist attacks at London and Westminster bridges, and the murder of Baby P.

Her career as a journalist includes stints in print, radio and television, as a presenter and reporter in both national and regional media, in the UK and abroad. In May 2022, she was appointed as ITN’s first Editorial Diversity Partner. A new role working across ITN’s three newsrooms – ITV News, Channel 4 News and 5 News - and ITN Productions to support ITN’s commitment to developing the careers of journalists from underrepresented groups into middle and senior editorial roles in news and production.

Alyse is the senior producer of CrimeCon US and helped build the event from the ground up since its inception in 2016. In addition to the US and UK events, CrimeCon has also expanded to include an annual CrimeCruise, a digital community called crimeHQ, the CLUE Awards, and a variety of smaller events

David Prest has been an audio producer for over twenty years. He is the founder, and Managing Director, of leading audio indie producers Whistledown which makes programmes and podcasts for a range of clients. Recent credits include: White Smoke (Audible US), The Great Post Office Trial and Please Protect Abraham (Radio 4), Our Broken Planet (Natural History Museum) and The Search for MH370 (Audible Australia). He is also the series producer of Radio 4's The Reunion.

Abigail is the Creative Director, Specialist Factual Productions. Her current projects include series for the BBC, NatGeo, Sky Documentaries, PBS and CNN. Recent programmes include Grierson-winning Inside our Autistic Minds (BBC), the critically acclaimed Tommy Jessop Goes to Hollywood (BBC) and Freedom: Fifty years of Pride (C4). Previously a BBC Commissioner, her credits include award-winning projects The Yorkshire Ripper Files, Chris Packham: Asperger’s & Me, and drama When Barbara Met Alan. Prior to this, Abigail directed a range of factual programming from acclaimed documentaries including The Met and 24 Hours in A&E to returners including Back in Time and Hunted.

After my studies, I worked for over 10 years in a film production as a producer and director scout. Since the beginning of 2021, I have switched to the podcast industry as part of the content team at Podimo Germany and now finally get to work even closer on content and help create new formats. I have two children, still very much enjoy listening to many podcasts in my private life and sing in a choir in my free time.

Sam Rowden is Vice President, Content Group at leading international broadcaster AMC Networks International – UK. Sam drives the company’s content strategy for their channel portfolio and streaming services, including TRUE CRIME (formerly known as CBS Reality), the #1 factual entertainment channel in the UK amongst adult women, and a top 10 most watched non-PSB channel amongst all adults, owned by a joint venture between AMC Networks International - UK and Paramount Global. A key part of her role is commissioning true crime originals, and her latest commissions include ‘”Wrongly Accused” and “Killers: Caught on Camera”.

Ian Rumsey is the MD of ITN Productions, one of Britain's most respected production companies, making a vast range of programmes for broadcasters and streaming platforms in the UK and America. He is a BAFTA and RTS-winning programme maker with a TV career spanning more than 25 years in news, documentaries and live programmes.

Under Ian's leadership, ITN Productions has become one of the world's leading producers of true crime - making documentaries for Amazon, Netflix, ITV, Channel 4, Peacock, Channel 5, Discovery and the BBC.

As Head of Acquisitions Will is responsible for managing and developing the scripted and unscripted acquisitions strategy at Abacus Media Rights, one of the UK’s leading distribution companies. Will works closely with international producers assisting with deficit financing and co-productions as well as feeding back and advising on editorial. Will has worked in international distribution for 15 years on both the sales and acquisitions side in all territories worldwide. He was previously Head of Acquisitions and Partnerships at UK distributor TVF International where he collaborated on more than 2,000 hours of programming from award-winning producers across the globe, also acting as Exec Producer on several productions. Prior to this, Will spent six years heading up the TVF Asia Pacific Team where he oversaw sales, acquisitions and partnerships across the region, brokering various financing, format and coproduction deals.

Danny Tipping is an award-winning producer with over 25 years’ experience in Specialist Factual television. Having spent time with broadcasters; Channel 4, Discovery and Sky, Tipping joined the independent sector before launching prod co Transistor Films in 2021. A leading producer of true-crime documentaries, Danny has overseen the development and production of over 150 hours of high-rating crime content for international broadcasters including Netflix, A&E, Discovery, Oxygen, Sky, Foxtel and ABC. Transistor produce the highly acclaimed Netflix Original series I Am A Killer and its ‘spin-off’ I Am A Stalker. In 2022, Pan McMillan published the I Am A Killer book, co-authored by Tipping and Transistor Exec Ned Parker.

Dr Honor Doro Townshend is a presenter, researcher and lecturer in all thing’s true crime and Criminology. Her recent research projects have looked into illicit substance use, gender identities and crime, the darkweb, and deviant subcultures, but she has a background in the study of all elements of Criminology, from theory to criminal justice. She has multiple papers and book chapters published across a variety of topic areas, and has worked as an expert Criminologist for programmes across Channel 4, Vice World News, BBC3, and Amazon Prime.

Marcel Theroux is a reporter, producer and the award-winning author of seven novels, most recently 'The Sorcerer of Pyongyang'. As a producer working in true crime, he has made two feature length programmes: Navalny: The Man Who Putin Couldn't Kill (Channel Four, 2021), which won a Golden Nymph in 2022, and Falklands: Island of Secrets (ITV, 2022), which he also presented.

Isla Traquair is a journalist, writer, producer, editor, speaker and presenter. From newspapers, radio and podcasts to international TV networks including the Oprah Winfrey Network, AMC, BBC, ITV, Channel Five and more, Isla’s stories, TV and radio shows, documentaries and podcast series have been read, watched and listened to by millions worldwide during her career spanning 27 years. She’s best known for her work in true crime having reported on countless murders and diving deep for documentaries and her self-produced Number 1 true crime podcast series The Storyteller: Naked Villainy, which made history broadcasting the first UK murder trial. She’s currently a regular on ITV’s This Morning where she was brought in to report on the death of Queen Elizabeth II as well as commentating on daily news round ups and recently filmed a series of crime features.

Jake is an award-winning journalist and documentary maker bringing a wealth of experience and a range of odd visa stamps to Message Heard. Specialising in the extremities of human interest whilst at Vice, he then moved on to radio at the BBC which eventually led him to founding Message Heard.

Emily-Jayne Wilde is the Head of Programme Strategy for Sky Witness and Sky Crime working across the channels’ long-term planning strategy and content selection.  Since the launch of Sky Crime in 2019, Emily has worked across a number of true crime series including Forensics: Catching The Killer, Britain’s Most Evil Killers and The Real Manhunter. Her most recent exec credits include, the BAFTA winning Libby, Are You Home Yet? and David Fuller: Monster in the Morgue.

Andrew Wilkie has worked in prisons for over 15 years. He is Deputy Chief Executive of the Prison Radio Association, the charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for people in prison. He set up he radio station from scratch in 2007 and has overseen its development into a multi award-winning national broadcaster. Prior to that Andrew was the launch producer for Dermot O’Leary's BBC Radio 2 Show and a Breakfast Show producer for Global Radio. His credits also include the creation and production of Behind the Crime, a returning series for BBC Radio 4.

Paul Woolf has 25 years’ experience in factual TV in the US and UK. He was an Executive Producer on the Emmy-nominated documentary Growing Up Down’s, co-created the BAFTA-winning BBC series Operation Ouch, and has developed series for Netflix, Discovery, ITV, Sky and Channel 4. He was an Executive Producer on Oxygen’s digital series Searching For…, which brought attention to three suspicious missing-person cases. He is currently EP’ing a major new documentary for National Geographic / Disney+.