Succession star Brian Cox, deaf pioneer Rose Ayling-Ellis join Edinburgh line-up

The Edinburgh TV Festival has announced its first wave of speakers, with Succession star Brian Cox discussing his career in an in-depth interview and deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis delivering the Alternative MacTaggart lecture.

Rose Ayling-Ellis

Cox will give an insight into his thoughts on US vs UK drama, identity and his working-class roots, as well as what it’s like to portray one of the most iconic characters on contemporary TV, in Succession’s Logan Roy.

Ayling-Ellis, a pioneer for the deaf community and British Sign Language campaigner, will talk about her experiences as an actress and the stark realities of life as a young person with disability in the TV industry.

Executives such as Banijay UK exec chairman Patrick Holland, Netflix VP of original series Anne Mensah and BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore are also confirmed among the line-up.

Holland will chair a session about the big entertainment formats that have become hits worldwide, while Mensah and Moore will be joined by Amazon Studios Europe chief Georgia Brown and head of UK originals Dan Grabiner.

In addition, BBC3 controller Fiona Campbell, Channel 4 chief content officer Ian Katz, Netflix director of original documentaries Kate Townsend, ITV MD of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo and UKTV CEO and BBC Studios UK & Ireland president Marcus Arthur for the annual event’s strand that hears from creative content chiefs from broadcasters and streamers.