Gareth Philips is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 television producer

Television producer

The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...

. He is currently the producer of Channel 4

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 soap opera

Soap opera

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...

.

Radio and Television Presenter

Philips began his career, working on Radio Clatterbridge

Radio Clatterbridge

Radio Clatterbridge is a community hospital radio station based at Clatterbridge Health Park, Wirral, UK. It is also a registered UK charity.The station notably carried the first broadcast interview with the Beatles. It is one of the oldest radio stations in the UK.- History :Radio Clatterbridge...

 between 1995 and 1997. He moved on to work on other radio stations including MFM 97.1, before becoming a television presenter on the cable TV stations Liverpool Live and Channel One.

Philips started his career behind the camera as a researcher for Granada Television

Granada Television

Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....

 in 1998, working on You've Been Framed

You've Been Framed

You've Been Framed is a British television show, produced by ITV Studios for ITV where viewers send in humorous home videos. It is currently narrated by the comedian Harry Hill....

, Stars in Their Eyes

Stars In Their Eyes

Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show that ran on Saturdays nights from 21 July 1990 until 23 December 2006 in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars...

and Soap Fever

Soap Fever

Soap Fever is a British television Entertainment programme on ITV2 presented by Liza Tarbuck, Denise Welch, Emma Kennedy, Jenny Powell and towards the end of its run Fiona Phillips and Penny Smith....

.

Coronation Street

Between 2000 and 2002, Philips was a storyline writer for ITV

ITV

ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

 soap opera Coronation Street

Coronation Street

Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...

. From 2002 until 2004, Philips worked as script editor, then in 2004 he was promoted to Series Editor, overseeing the entire script and story team until the end of 2006. Philips is regarded as being integral to the success of the show during one of its golden periods, in which it won three successive BAFTA awards for Best Continuing Drama. He was also a producer for Coronation Street: Pantomime in 2005.

Britannia High

Philips' next television credit was script editor for the drama series Cold Blood

Cold Blood (UK TV series)

Cold Blood is a television series produced by ITV. Three series of the show have been broadcast.The program stars Matthew Kelly as Brian Wicklow, a former serial killer who assists the police with investigations. Also starring is John Hannah, as Jake Osborne; and Jemma Redgrave as Detective...

in 2007 and 2008. Also in 2008, Philips developed and produced the hit musical drama Britannia High

Britannia High

Britannia High was a British musical drama television series co-produced by Granada Television Britannia High was a British musical drama television series co-produced by Granada Television Britannia High was a British musical drama television series co-produced by Granada Television (now part of...

. The series focused on the lives of a group of teenagers at a fictional London theatre school. It aired on ITV1

ITV1

ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...

 and TV3 Ireland

TV3 Ireland

TV3 is a free-to-air commercial television network in the Republic of Ireland. Launched on 20 September 1998 it was Ireland's first commercial broadcaster. The channel is owned by TV3 Group a subsidiary of Doughty Hanson & Co.-The TV3 Group:...

, premiering on 26 October 2008. Philips hired Coronation Street

Coronation Street

Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...

writers Jonathan Harvey

Jonathan Harvey

Jonathan Harvey is the name of:*Jonathan Harvey , British composer*Jonathan Harvey , U.S. Representative from New Hampshire*Jonathan Harvey , British playwright...

, Damon Rochefort

Damon Rochefort

Damon Rochefort is a Welsh musician, songwriter and writer.He was born to Barry and Kaye Rochefort.He has had success in music in the 1990s with his band, Nomad, with the international hits "I Wanna Give you Devotion" and "Just a Groove"; as well as writing and producing hits for Kim Wilde, Bad...

 and Julie Jones to help develop the characters and storylines, as well as writing partners Kirstie Falkous and John Regier.

Britannia High

Britannia High

Britannia High was a British musical drama television series co-produced by Granada Television Britannia High was a British musical drama television series co-produced by Granada Television Britannia High was a British musical drama television series co-produced by Granada Television (now part of...

starred Sapphire Elia

Sapphire Elia

Sapphire Elia , is an English actress and singer best known for her roles in musical drama Britannia High and the soap opera Emmerdale.-Early and personal life:Sapphire Chrystalla Elia was born on 15 April 1987 in London...

, Georgina Hagen

Georgina Hagen

Georgina "Georgie" Kimberley Hagen is an English actress and singer, most famous for her appearance as Lauren in ITV's Britannia High...

, Mitch Hewer

Mitch Hewer

Mitchell Scott "Mitch" Hewer is an English actor, who is best known for his role of Maxxie Oliver in the E4 teen drama, Skins. He has also starred in Britannia High as the all around talent Danny Miller...

, Rana Roy

Rana Roy

Rana Roy is an English singer, dancer and actress of Egyptian and Indian descent.- Bio :Rana Roy born 1 October 1986 in London, U.K is an English actress, singer, dancer of Egyptian and Indian descent...

, Matthew James Thomas

Matthew James Thomas

Matthew James Thomas is a British actor, best known for his role in the UK drama/musical show, Britannia High.-Early life:...

 and Marcquelle Ward, as well as Adam Garcia

Adam Garcia

Adam Garcia is an Australian actor and tap dancer of partial Colombian descent .-Career:...

 as the dance mentor, Lorraine Pilkington

Lorraine Pilkington

Lorraine Pilkington is an Irish actress from Dublin, who is best known for her role as Katrina Finlay on Monarch of the Glen. Trained at the Gaiety School of Acting, Pilkington began her career at the age of 15 when she appeared in The Miracle directed by Neil Jordan. She appeared onstage in the...

 as the music mentor and Mark Benton

Mark Benton

Mark Benton is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his roles as Eddie in Early Doors and Howard in Northern Lights.-Life and career:Benton was born in Guisborough, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England....

 as the school principal and acting mentor. In addition to the main cast, the series featured cameo performances from Girls Aloud

Girls Aloud

Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...

, Boyzone

Boyzone

Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...

, Matt Willis

Matt Willis

Matthew James Willis is an English singer-songwriter. He found fame as a founding member of the band Busted.- Early years :...

 and Gemma Bissix

Gemma Bissix

Gemma Bissix is an English actress. She has been acting since the age of 9. Her most prominent roles have been in soap operas, as Clare Bates in EastEnders and Clare Devine in Hollyoaks ; she was awarded with two British Soap Awards for the latter role...

. Also, Aston Merrygold

Aston Merrygold

Aston Iain Merrygold is a singer with boy band JLS who were the runner ups to Alexandra Burke on the fifth series of The X Factor in the United Kingdom in 2008.-Early life:...

, lead singer of hit boyband JLS, auditioned for the role before his success in the boyband - but only made it to the final 16. Pixie Lott

Pixie Lott

Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...

 also auditioned, but failed to be selected. The show featured an original soundtrack which was created by a team of pop producers and writers in the UK, led by Take That

Take That

Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...

 member Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...

.

Hollyoaks

Philips continued as a script editor for Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...

. In 2011, it was announced Hollyoaks series producer Paul Marquess would leave his position after a year and would be replaced by Philips. Discussing his new promotion, Philips stated: "I have really enjoyed working in the script team at Hollyoaks and it will be a huge honour to take the reins of Channel 4's flagship youth drama. I am very excited about taking the show even further this year with more compelling and brave stories."
His first credited episode as series producer aired on 20 June 2011 on Channel 4.

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