Julie Gardner MBE, the legendary television producer behind Doctor Who, Torchwood, and co-founder of Bad Wolf Productions, shares how she went from growing up in a working-class village in South Wales to becoming one of the most influential producers in British television.

This is a conversation about ambition, resilience, self-belief, and what it really takes to create a life beyond the limits of where you started.

In this episode:

• Julie’s childhood growing up in South Wales
• How books and television became her window into a bigger world
• Overcoming shyness and learning to ask for opportunities
• Missing out on Cambridge and finding the determination to keep going
• Why setbacks can become defining moments
• The reality behind the glamour of the television industry
• How Doctor Who helped transform television production in Wales
• Working with people who inspire you
• What it is like receiving an MBE
• Why asking for help and backing yourself matters
• The notion of “being in the room”
• The importance of storytelling, curiosity, and long-term vision

Julie is a great conversationalist and her story highlights that building a life that inspires you requires resilience, self-belief, and the courage to ask for opportunities, amongst many more golden nuggets from her vast experience of working in television.