Leeds grad Katie Wyles dances her way into television

MetFilm School Leeds graduate, Katie Wyles, says she’s wanted to work in TV ever since she was a child.

The youngest of three, 21-year-old Katie who grew up in Leeds, says she remembers watching Saturday night TV with her family on the sofa, all eating sweets, and thinking to herself that it looked like fun.

Fast forward a few years and Katie, who is in the cohort of the very first graduates from the BA Content Media & Film Production degree from MetFilm School Leeds this summer, already has three TV programmes under her career belt.

“Watching shows like Ant and Dec and Strictly Come Dancing, I just thought it looked like so much fun to be part of,” she said.

Strictly Come Dancing also opened a world of dance to the youngster who studied ballet and more recently has joined a ballroom and Latin team.

Katie, who’s mum is a teacher and dad a designer, said she wasn’t planning on going to university after A levels. It was her mum who showed her the advert for the brand new MetFilm School Leeds campus just a week before her A level results.

“I wrote my personal statement that night, got offered an interview the next day and offered a place within a couple of days,” she explained.

Katie admits it was hard to go into it with no expectations not knowing what it would be like. “It was a great experience in terms of getting to figure out what I wanted to do as every year was so different and there was lots of first-hand advice from staff from their own experiences.”

Since she’s graduated Katie has worked on three TV productions and says she’s learnt so much.

She was one of 15 runners on the BBC show Stacey Solomon Sort Your Life Out. She says it was a big team of people with strict deadlines but very exciting.

“It was so hands on and so exciting to see all the presenters. It was hard work though. I spent two days in the warehouse laying out 600 books all organised in colour sections for the overhead shot and then two days in the house.

“The best bit was the people. Everyone I worked with were lovely and for many it was also their first opportunity in TV so we were all in the same boat.

“And getting to see how much you’re benefiting a family and seeing the change and knowing I was a part of that it was a lot to take in.”

Katie also worked as a runner on BBC show Homes under the Hammer and ITV series Dickenson’s Real Deal.

“I got an earpiece and a radio on Dickenson’s Real Deal which is a career goal of mine so that was really exciting, and it was great to meet other people working on the production and start making some valuable contacts.”

Katie is no stranger to pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Last year she spent the summer working as the co-head of media at an all-girls summer camp in Quebec.

“It really helped me learn more about 'adventure' and doing the things I want to do even if they are extremely scary, like moving to Canada to a bilingual summer camp where I'd be needing to do my job, look after children and speak French, which I wasn’t 100% confident with.”

But Katie made a lasting impression on the girls with one telling her she wanted to get into the media because she had seen the work Katie had been doing around camp.

“She said it inspired her to take more photos and film more so that when she is my age, she could have my job! It really helped me put into perspective that just because it’s scary doesn't mean I just shouldn't do it!”

Katie has her plans set on working in production management and in the meantime is taking as many screen skills courses as possible so when the time comes, she’s in a better position.