Fact
& Friction

 

Ron Carroll is a multi-award-winning development expert and showrunner with more than two decades of international experience in unscripted content. He has helped shape, sell, and launch formats for Netflix, BBC, Fremantle, Sony, Warner Bros., and Paramount, including titles such as Blown Away, Big Proud Party Agency, The Apartment, and Undercover Boss.

Equally at home in the edit suite or the pitch room, Ron specializes in format troubleshooting, pitch deck creation, and executive coaching. Known for balancing creativity with commercial instinct, he has guided producers, networks and brands through every stage of development — from rough ideas to market-ready formats. Alongside his consultancy work, he contributes to the industry as a juror for the International Emmys.

 

"When I was seven, I unwrapped a toy typewriter on Christmas morning—and that was it. The world opened up. My bedroom became a bustling newsroom, complete with breaking stories, invented scandals, and the satisfying clack of plastic keys.

The obsession never left. A few clunky keystrokes later, I was interning at my local paper.

By university, I’d graduated to an electric typewriter and delivered my English dissertation with the confidence of a newsroom pro. The grade? A dazzling 16%. My professor scrawled in furious red: “This is an appalling piece of journalese.”

He wasn’t wrong—but he wasn’t right, either. I wasn’t writing essays. I was already writing for readers.

I wish I’d kept that paper. These days, I’d post his seething review across my socials. Back then, it felt like failure. Now, I know it was proof I was already on my way."

 

Ron's latest book, The Frazzled Freelancer,  is available this winter and lifts the curtain on the realities of self-employment with sharp honesty and hard-won humor. Drawing on decades in the television and creative industries, Ron translates the chaos of freelancing into clear, actionable strategies that help others protect their confidence, set boundaries, and thrive without burning out. The book mixes personal stories with practical tools that resonate with freelancers, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to balance ambition with sanity. For more, see byRonCarroll.com