TV Participation

Want to be appear on a TV show or in a media article but no suitable current entries below ? Send us a paragraph about what you are looking to appear on / get help with info@bigmatters.co.uk

Media companies If you need participants for forthcoming programmes please click here

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Are you, or a member of your family use specialist furniture or assistive equipment to help manage a weight-related condition?

If so, Disability magazine would like to hear from you for an article on bariatric products that will be published on February 17th.

We are looking for someone who would be willing to take part in a 10 to 15-minute recorded telephone interview, in which we will ask about the type of equipment you use, how you chose it, what experiences you have had with it and whether you would recommend it to others. It could be a purpose-designed bed, a specialist wheelchair, a hoist, or indeed more than one form of equipment. We will then write a case study based on your answers that will appear in the magazine.

Ideally, we would also like to illustrate the article with a photograph of whoever uses the equipment - but this wouldn't be mandatory.

If this sounds like it might be of interest, please call the editor of the magazine, Callum Fauser, on 01206 505 115 or email editor@disabilitymagazine.co.uk before Monday 6th February.

Are you struggling with your weight?

If you're putting on the pounds, but can't figure out why, we want to help.

Remarkable Television is looking for families and households to take part in a brand new TV show. Our team will highlight where you're going wrong and draw on the latest research to help you win your battle with the bulge.

So if you're overweight, and want to find out more, email us via weight@endemoluk.com or call 03335 777 774. (jan 2012)

Calls to this number will be charged at your local rate, mobiles may vary. Unfortunately, we won't be able to answer all applicants individually.

Please note that your application will be received by a member of Endemol's production team and they will contact you directly. Endemol will process your personal data in accordance with their privacy policy. Endemol UK will use any information provided by you for the purposes of selecting participants for the programme and will only share information with the broadcaster and any independent contractors involved in the programme.

If so, a national study at the University of York would like to hear from you.

The study is investigating the experience of UK patients who have travelled abroad for medical treatment.Hearing about your experience will help others who may choose the same course, whether it was for bariatric surgery, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatment or anything else.Your anonymity and confidentiality will be assured at all times.This piece of research will be of real value in assessing future treatment of UK patients, and you can help.

Channel 4’s BAFTA award-winning medical series Embarrassing Bodies, is back and, this time, the clinic is opening its doors to patients with
obesity-related health problems.

Do you have an embarrassing medical problem that you feel could be connected to being overweight? Does your size affect your mobility? Perhaps you’re suffering from sores or ulcers that make day to day living unbearable? Is being overweight ruining your sex life? Or perhaps you’ve lost lots of weight and excess skin is now a problem?

Dr Christian, Dr Pixie, and Dr Dawn are keen to hear from you if you have been suffering in silence or have reached the end of your tether and are desperate for help.

For more details or for an application form, please call 0121 224 8395 or email: weightmatters@mavericktv.co.uk (dec 2011)

Eyeworks TV are making a new documentary series, helping obese people lose weight over the period of a year. We are soon to finish filming the first series and many contributors have seen remarkable transformations.

We are looking for people who want to lose at least 10stone in weight. They get a dedicated team of personal trainers, nutritionists, boot camps and round-the-clock medical supervision for a whole year to help them change their life.

IWC Media are looking for people to take part in a potential new series for Channel 4 which aims to help people help themselves and change their lives We will put all the advice and support in place to help you move out and move on with life!

Or call: 0141 353 8495(please do leave a message if it is outside office hours) 18/10/11

IWC Media has a well-established reputation for making popular, intelligent and award-winning programmes. Our output ranges from popular factual, lifestyle and formats for peak-time and daytime, to documentary, landmark, and blue-chip science and history.

Are you overweight and trying to slim down? Men particularly wanted to take part

Do you want to go on an exercise bootcamp in a luxury stately home for FREE?
Landmark films are a TV production company making a documentary series about events held in stately homes across the UK. On the 22nd – 23rd October we are filming an exercise bootcamp at the beautiful stately home Carlton Towers near Selby in Yorkshire. It will be run by the successful fitness instructor Gavin Walsh and will be an intense 2-day weight-loss programme. It is ideal for someone looking to kick-start an exercise regime to lose weight. We are looking for a few people to take with us and film with.
You must have a significant amount of weight to lose and be free on those dates. You must also be outgoing, talkative and willing to share your thoughts and feelings with the production team. If you are interested please call me as soon as possible on 01865 202 099 (daytime) or 07940 405 374 (evening). Or you can email me harriet@landmarkfilms.com with your age, phone number and a bit about yourself. The filming not far off so if you want to come along you need to get in touch soon!
All costs except travel will be covered by the company. (oct 8 2011)

Does your size stop you living life to the full? Is your weight putting your health in jeopardy? Do you feel you just can’t lose the weight on your own?

One of the UK’s major broadcasters has a new weight-loss TV programme that will take transformation to whole new level.

Eyeworks TV are looking for men and women for a new TV series, following them for 1 year as we help dramatically transform their bodies and their lives with the help of our dedicated team – including personal trainers, nutritionists and round the clock medical supervision.

This will be an exercise and diet based-weight loss system that will help you change your life. This could be the year to get your weight off and your life back!

If you or someone you know would like to find out more, contact us confidentially at: obesityproject@eyeworks.tv or call us on 0207 644 0075. (5/9/11)

BBC Breakfast TV (BBC One) is looking for someone who has experience of struggling with their weight who can come on the programme tomorrow morning and explain what it's like.

We would want to talk to them about their experiences with weight, the effect it can have on self-esteem, methods they might have tried to lose weight and their experience of how challenging this can be. We would want to interview the person on the sofa in our West London studios at 8.10am.

So, we would be really keen to talk to someone who has experience of trying to lose weight and can give us some human insight . We would provide all transport to and from the studio

Please get in touch if you would like to talk to us. I'm on 0208 624 9700 or this email sarah.weaver@bbc.co.uk

Ground-breaking new Channel 4 series exploring the potential health benefits of food in treating a wide range of symptoms, ailments and illnesses. Channel 4 are looking for people who would be interested in visiting The Food Hospital.
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Get in touch to find out how following a scientifically devised diet could help improve your condition and / or symptoms.
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Our team of medical experts, including a GP, a specialist medical Consultant and a leading Dietitian will work closely with the patients to devise individual diets targeted at their particular condition and will monitor their progress. Please get in touch for more information.
Call Edd on 0207 907 0886 or email foodhospital@betty.co.uk (aug 2011)

Are you over weight and considering weight-loss surgery? Have you had weight loss surgery and are now left with excess skin?

Maverick Television are looking for contributors for a project we are currently developing. We want to speak to people who suffer from obesity or excess skin who are considering how to solve the problem. If this is you, please contact Angie Cox on a.cox@mavericktv.co.uk or 020 7874 6674 ( 2 aug 2011)

Inspirational Stories wanted also do you know a family with a young child suffering from anorexia ?

I am a freelance journalist with over 20 years experience in the media. I now write for women's magazines such as Take a Break, Love It! and That's Life, Bella, Best, etc. I also still contribute to the Sunday papers.

If anyone could help put me in touch with a family whose child is suffering from anorexia at a very young age (five to eight)? If necessary, we could keep the family anonymous.

I am also interested in any inspirational stories that might be worth running in magazines. Contact Grace at storyforgrace@gmail.com (2 aug 2011)

Crackit Productions are making a new weightloss series for Channel 4 and we're currently looking for people to take part.

We've teamed up with Gymbox and some of the best trainers and nutrionists in the country in an attempt to bring about some amazing physical transformations. If you need to slim down for a particular reason, this could be the show for you.

Perhaps you have a wedding or reunion later in the year and you need to shed several stones in a few months. Maybe you’ve had a health scare that means you have to lose weight fast. If for any reason you are extremely overweight and are desperate to shed the pounds we want to hear from you. Call Zyreeta on 020 7 156 7322 or email info@crackitproductions.co.uk for more info (july 28 2011)

Are you desperate to leave home? Eager to find a job? Longing for some confidence?

We are looking for people in their 20s and 30s who are still living at home, for a new Channel 4 series.
And we genuinely want to change someone’s life.
If you’re craving independence and would love to cut the apron strings then it’s time to do something about it.
This is not a diet show. It’s a fight for freedom.
Please get in touch with us if your weight is holding you back from living your life and realising your ambitions.
IWC Media has a well-established reputation for making popular, intelligent and award-winning programmes. Our output ranges from popular factual, lifestyle and formats for peak-time and daytime, to documentary, landmark, and blue-chip science and history.
Call Lesley on 0141 353 8479 (please do leave a message if it is outside office hours)
or you can email lesley.shields@iwcmedia.co.uk (july 22 2011)

Weight loss the mother and daughter way

We are looking for mothers and daughters to feature in a documentary for Sky Living. Its one of a 5 part series on mothers and daughters. Are you a mum desperately trying to get your child to lose weight? Have you tried all sorts of ways and made all sorts of suggestions? Or are you just starting out on that journey? Or are you possibly losing weight with her? Showing her how to do it? I'd be interested to hear from you if you would like to know more, or if you have a few questions. The audience for Sky Living is 25 years old and younger, so we are looking for daughters that are under 23 years old. At the moment I am trying to find as many people as possible. I have got to find people in the next three weeks, so it would be great to hear back from you soon.

Zkk is a tv production company and is well respected with a reputation for high quality and innovative factual programming. The company supplies all major UK broadcasters and specialises in accessible observational documentaries and formatted documentary series. Zkk has won a number of British and international awards for its work. amy.gairdner@yahoo.com (june 2011)

Spun Gold TV is looking for a diverse array of families to take part in a new, non-judgemental documentary exploring different attitudes to eating and body size.Perhaps you are concerned about your family’s weight issues, but find it a struggle controlling their eating. Are you confused by the amount of healthy eating advice out there? Or perhaps you don’t understand why your family is overweight?

OR maybe your family is plus sized and proud. Are you bored of being told to eat healthily? Do you enjoy indulging your children with their favourite fast foods because they’re only kids after all? And are you fed up with TV shows that lecture you about losing weight?If any or all of the above applies to you or someone you know we would love to hear from you.

Please email families@spungoldtv.com with your name, contact details and a little bit about your family. A member of our team will be in touch with you shortly. Alternatively you can call us direct on 0207 065 6926. (june 2011)

FAT CHANCE! Northern Ireland families needed now to star in new TV Health show

Does your family have the wrong diet and wrong attitude? Do you do enough exercise? Do you shop badly and can’t cook? If the answer to these questions is ‘Yes’, don’t worry, as help is on the way.

A new BBC NI television series is giving you the chance to help change your family’s life forever.

Tern Television is creating a new television series for BBC Northern Ireland called Fat Chance. We are looking for three families (mums, dads and children) with serious weight issues to take part in an intensive, expert-led weight loss programme this summer which will take stock of their health issues and give them a real chance to change their lives forever.

In this series, the three families will spend one week in a secret location where some of the nation’s best experts in Nutrition, Health, Psychotherapy and Fitness will help set them on the road to recovery. In a course of specialist treatments they will be given the chance to change. Then in the following weeks, they will be sent home to put what they’ve learnt to the test.

We’re looking for outgoing families with serious weight issues that are making them unhappy and unhealthy but who most of all want the chance to change.

If you and your family are Overweight and potentially putting yourselves at increased risk of Diabetes, Heart Disease and a variety of Cancers, we want to hear from you. We want people who are willing to share their stories with the nation to ultimately show us all how we can tackle our growing obesity problem.

The treatment programmes our families will undergo would normally cost thousands of pounds, but for the people who take part in the show it will be completely free.

For further information on how to take part, contact the Fat Chance team, Peter or Gohir at fatchance@terntv.com
Or Tel:- 02890326038 * All enquiries will be dealt with in the strictest confidence* (june 2011)

Would you like to be part of a ground-breaking new Channel 4 series called ‘The Food Hospital’? The series will explore the potential benefits of food and diet in managing a variety of illnesses and symptoms.Do you or someone you know struggle with obesity?

Is obesity seriously affecting your life? Are you willing to follow a scientifically devised diet, which might help to improve your conditions and / or symptoms?

Patients attending ‘The Food Hospital’ will be advised by our team of medical professionals. Please call Laura on 0207 907 0886 or email foodhospital@betty.co.uk for more information. (may 2011)

I am always looking for interesting case studies and story ideas. I work with all of the national newspapers and women’s magazine titles. If you have a story, I would love to hear about it. No matter how insignificant it might seem, there could be an angle for an article.
I will consider anything from political news to “real life” stories.
Wherever possible I will be able to pay a fee, which can be anything from £50 to £1,000. Occasionally I can pay more for an incredibly strong story http://www.sellmystorytoday.co.uk I will respond to all enquiries within 24 hours.
All story submissions will be dealt with strict confidentiality and nothing can be published without the signed agreement of the person who is involved in the story. (may 2011)
joe.famousfeatures@gmail.com

Looking for a case study in East Anglia… someone who is on Invalidity Benefit due to their weight and ideally has been for some time.

It would involve them being interviewed by me today for a piece due to run from 5pm.They could tell us about how difficult it would be for them to work.

Looking for someone who is on incapacity benefit, or has recently come off it, who could talk to us on Channel 4 News tomorrow. The government is releasing new figures about the numbers of people on incapacity benefit because of obesity, and claiming they will do more to help people to challenge their problems rather than stay on benefits. Email EMILY.WILSON@ITN.CO.UK
0207 430 4601

The figures from the Department for Work and Pensions out today have a break down, for the first time, of the different reasons why people claim incapacity benefit. There are currently 1,830 people claiming because of obesity. We are looking to talk to someone who is claiming incapacity benefit because of their weight to tell us about how important it is for them--- why they need it, the factors preventing them finding work, whether they lost their job as a result of their weight or perhaps resulting medical issues like diabetes. We want to hear their thoughts and hear one of the stories behind the statistics.

Are you strugging to feed your kids a healthy diet ? Do you rely on takeaways , fast foods and treats too often?

A new TV show are looking for parents who need expert help to change their children's diets.

If this sounds like you or someone you know please contact 0207 290 0539 or juniordiets@betty.co.uk (april 2011)

DO YOUR KIDS THINK YOU’RE A BAD DRIVER?
Need to ‘curb’ your bad habits before you pass them onto your children?

CBBC’s NEW TV SHOW ‘DRIVING ACADEMY’ CAN HELP YOU!
WE WILL PUT YOUR DRIVING SKILLS TO THE TEST...
AND REMEDY YOUR BAD HABITS!

WE’LL TEACH YOUR KIDS ALL ABOUT ROAD SAFETY... AND SHOW THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF AWARENESS AND RESPONSIBILITY, BY PUTTING THEM IN THE DRIVING SEAT WITH OUR QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS.

We’re looking for one parent to take part with one child aged 11-14. For more details contact us within 3 days of seeing this poster! Deadline march 11th.
drivingacademy@luckydaytv.co.uk 020 3189 3109 (feb 2011)

Standard geographic charges apply and calls may be included in your telecom provider’s call package. Calls from mobiles may be higher. Callers MUST seek permission from the bill payer before calling.

This opportunity is only open to those aged between 11 and 14 on 1st May 2011 and their parents / legal guardians. To apply, the applicant MUST have permission from their parent / legal guardian and make a joint application with their parent Only applicable to UK citizens. If you have not heard back from us by Friday 18th March you have not been successful this time.

Channel 4 is screening a week of short films exploring attitudes around being fat. These films are part of 4thought.tv - a religion and ethics project. We have 7 films going out after the news each evening, (they're only 2 mins long), showcasing a wide range of experiences. Afterwards viewers can share their own thoughts and feelings about issues on our website www.4thought.tv

We're hoping to attract some interesting reactions and personal stories about whether obesity is a genetic condition, and how society discriminates againsts people who are big. Here is the run down of who is on each evening, and then all the films are available online to view afterwards at www.4thought.tv/fat

Monday 14th February: Harry Mount

Journalist Harry Mount believes it’s wrong to explain away the fat epidemic in society as some kind of genetic disorder – he feels that fat people need to take responsibility for the food that they consume and the damage it’s causing.

Tuesday 15th February: Kathryn Szrodecki
Fitness instructor Kathryn Szrodecki believes that it is perfectly possible to be large and healthy, and that fat prejudice is just as wrong as racism.

Catholic parish priest Paul Keane believes that God instructs us to look after our bodies, so if we do not maintain a healthy lifestyle we are committing a sin.

Plus-size model Nina Blakemore is a size 18 and completely comfortable with her body. She believes that the fashion industry is responsible for our obsession with being slim and that most men actually prefer curvier women.

Muslim Saiyyidah Zaidi believes that being overweight is not compatible with Islam and that parents have a fundamental responsibility to make sure their children do not become obese.

Practising Christian Donna Beamish struggled with her weight after moving to the UK from Trinidad, but believes society is too quick to judge those who are overweight, and that God does not make the same judgement.

Emma Chawner is seventeen stone and wants to lose weight. She believes it is a sin to be fat and we must take responsibility for the food we put in our mouths.

The films will play on Channel 4 from Mon - Thurs, 7:25pm Fri, 6:55pm Sat and 7:55pm Sun. They will all be available online straight afterwards www.4thought.tv Please tune into the films, visit the website to share your thoughts, and tell your friends and family about the project - www.4thought.tv/smack

You can stay up to date with 4thought.tv by joining our Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/pages/4thoughttv/142909445750838
and Twitter account http://twitter.com/#!/4thoughttv

TF1 News, leading French televisions, is doing a news piece for its weekly news programme on better care for obese patients in the UK.

Obesity rates in Britain are soaring with nearly a quarter of adults now classed as clinically obese. The number of people admitted to hospital for obesity shot up almost 60% last year.Some overweight patients has criticised the NHS for not providing better care for obese patients.

Recently, the UK's ambulance service has been forced to upgrade its fleet to deal with the problem .Is this enough? What is being done in Britain to help overweight patients? We are looking to meet and interview overweight patients who tried the heavy-duty 'bariatric' ambulances and tell us on camera if the NHs is doing enough and if they think that the British society is doing enough as well (seats in public transports, restaurants...).

We would like to find a case study in the London area we could film and interview.TF1 is France’s premier broadcasting network and broadcasts to some 500,000 Britons currently living in France.

Remarkable Television is looking for households who want to save money for a new Channel 4 series!

If you think you, or your household, is wasting hundreds, or thousands of pounds on things you don’t use, eat or need, we want to hear from you .If you would like to find out more please call us on 03335 777 776 or email family@endemoluk.com leaving your name and telephone number and a member of the team will be in touch.(feb 2011)

Remarkable will use any information provided by you for the purposes of selecting participants for the programme and will only share information with Channel 4 and any independent contractors involved in the programme. Please note, calls will be charged at your local rate.

Hello. My name is Suzannah. I am a writer with Barcroft Media, an international press agency, which supplies content to newspapers and magazines in the UK and around the world.
I am currently trying to find people who have struggled or are currently struggling with their weight who would be happy to share their story. The article would highlight the problems that people suffer everyday because of their weight and the effect it has had on their life.
People interested in being involved must be happy to be photographed and named and will of course be paid for their time. Examples of our work can be seen at www.barcroftmedia.com.
Anyone who is interested or would like more information can contact me on suzannah@barcroftmedia.com or on 0207 923 1827.
Many thanks, Suzannah ( 28 jan 2011)