Emily Allen takes a new job Boffola Pictures

Boffola Pictures, the production company set up by former BBC comedy chiefs Shane Allen and Kate Daughton, has made its first appointment

Emily Allen – who also previously worked at the BBC as a comedy development producer, has been made head of development at the new company.

Her role at the BBC involved working with emerging stand-ups and writers as well as rising talent from online and social channels. Her commissions include PRU for BBC Three, Peck’Eds from Instagram comedian Soph Galustian, and the upcoming BBC Three series, Zen School of Motoring from YouTuber Ogmios.

She was also responsible for the inaugural BBC Festival of Funny shorts, which brought 15 short films from emerging comedy filmmakers to BBC iPlayer.

 In a statement, Daughton and Shane Allen said: ‘Emily’s obsession with spotting talent is matched by her razor-sharp comedy instinct. She is a widely regarded and influential presence on the British comedy scene with a particular drive for opening the doors to new and diverse voices. We are thrilled to welcome her to Boffola."

Emily Allen added: ‘For me you get into this industry because you want to be part of making sure it's the funniest, most talented and deserving people who get to realise and share their ideas.

‘That's Kate and Shane's ethos through & through - they're the smartest, most generous comedy minds out there – so to join them at Boffola, it's an opportunity that's impossible to resist.’

Boffola recently announced its first commission, a six-part comedy thriller from Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli, for BBC One.

Published: 4 Nov 2021