![]() When presented with the allegations, Raman and Quirk said that, over the past months, they have “ commissioned an independent 360 company-wide review to help create best working practices,” implemented “a host of recommendations” and “ been liaising closely with Bectu and our clients, including the BBC, throughout.” The company appointed Vice Media Head of Production Europe Rosie Taylor in a Head of Production role this morning. The second season of Meet The Khans was commissioned mere weeks after BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore wrote to hundreds of suppliers with updated guidelines for dealing with bullying and sexual harassment on set. There is no suggestion that Khan or Makhdoom were aware of the allegations.īectu subsequently wrote to Raman and Quirk with the allegations demanding they change their practices, but the union received a “further deluge of complaints” a year later, according to the February 2022 letter, during the filming of the second season of Meet The Khans and Channel 5’s Sally Lindsay’s Posh Sleepover. The letter also reveals that Chatterbox was warned by Bectu after an initial set of six complaints by its members in late 2020 but the behavior continued, with another set of six complaints coming around one year later, at which point Bectu decided its only choice was to contact the broadcasters.ĭeadline understands the first six were made during the filming of the debut season of BBC Three’s Meet the Khans, the popular ob doc following the champion British boxer and wife Faryal Makhdoom. “All unanimously attest to this emanating from Chatterbox founders – Nav Raman and Ali Quirk,” said the letter, although Deadline understands the specific complaints of bullying were directed at Raman, not Quirk.įurthermore, the complainants, who were all women, “strongly suspect that this behaviour is being used to actively achieve an underspend on production budget at the cost of wellbeing and health and safety,” according to the letter. It went on to list “daily public humiliation of staff, targeting people in need of reasonable adjustments and flexible working, routinely reducing staff to tears, a regular cycle of resignations and work requests at all hours of the day and night.” The February 2022 letter described “troubling accounts of ritual humiliation, dismissal of complaints, a disregard of staff wellbeing and a deeply embedded toxic work environment” at Chatterbox from late 2020 to early 2022. No complaints have been made since February 2022. “When complaints are made relating to BBC commissions they are handled seriously and appropriate action is taken,” added the statement.ĭeadline understands Chatterbox now has a Respect at Work policy in place for Charlotte In Sunderland, which is being filmed in the North East of England. In a statement to Deadline, the BBC did not directly address the reasons for continuing to work with Chatterbox but said the corporation “does not tolerate any form of bullying or harassment,” adding that all producers contracted by the BBC must have a Respect at Work policy, and “adhere to our strengthened requirements in ensuring a safe working environment.” ![]() The firm was founded by former Channel 4 commissioner Raman and former Raw TV, Sugar Films and Barcroft Media alum Quirk in 2018. Channel 4 has never commissioned Chatterbox, although the production company received a £20,000 ($24,000) grant from the pubcaster’s Emerging Indie Fund in December 2020.Īlong with Crosby, BAFTA-winning Chatterbox has made shows fronted by the likes of British Boxer Amir Khan and chart-topping singer Tinie Tempah. Two former Chatterbox employees were emboldened to contact Deadline about Chatterbox’s behavior after reading news of this commission.Īfter receiving the same letter from Bectu, Paramount-owned Channel 5 has stopped working with Chatterbox. Since then, the BBC, which placed resolving bullying issues at the heart of its latest supplier code of conduct, has greenlit Chatterbox for BBC Three reality series Charlotte In Sunderland, led by Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby. BBC DG Tim Davie: "I Am Not In This Job Simply To Defend An Institution"
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