Firecracker promotes unscripted pair

Tinopolis-owned UK prodco Firecracker has promoted two of its executive producers to the newly created roles of head of factual entertainment and head of documentaries.

Sam Emmery

Sam Emmery is taking the docs role, with Federico Ruiz leading the factual entertainment side.

Emmery joined Firecracker as an executive producer in 2016 after working for the company as a producer-director on films including Diaries of a Broken Mind, Mermaid Girl and the first episode of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.

His recent Firecracker credits include Secret Life of the Human Pups, The Brit Who Tried to Kill Trump, The Trouble With Dad, Baby Ballroom and Emma Willis: Delivering Babies.

Federico Ruiz

He is currently working on Sex Testers for Channel 4’s sister net E4 and Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over for UKTV’s W channel in the UK. He will continue to develop Firecracker’s slate of docs and factual series in his new role.

Ruiz has been with Firecracker since 2013. As well as running the US series My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding on TLC for several seasons, he has been exec producer on fact ent projects, including Dr Christian Will See You Now, 12 Hours to Cure Your Street and Bad Teen to Ballroom Queen.

In his new position he will spearhead Firecracker’s fact ent and reality output as well as working on branded content and US projects.