BBC's Kate Phillips On 'The Traitors', Reality TV & 'Top Gear' Reboot

Kate Phillips, BBC Studios’ content chief, said reality formats are among the hardest genres to “get right, crack and execute,” urging reality producers to keep pitching. Speaking at MIPCOM during a BBC Studios “Reality Check” session, Phillips argued that unscripted shows now have strong momentum inside the BBC: she cited about 6 billion hours of unscripted viewing last year and said 70% of the corporation’s content mix is now unscripted. BBC entertainment boss Ed Havard added that brands such as The Traitors create a “halo effect” and pointed to flexible rights deals as support. Havard also joked he’s receiving many emails from would-be Top Gear presenters.