I’m an experienced producer/director who makes successful talent led documentaries. I’ve always had a great relationship with talent, earning their trust, which allows me to get the best out of them on screen, ultimately benefiting them.
I was hired to direct and produce a short series with a female presenter. The broadcaster felt the presenter lacked depth and warmth and wanted me to get this out of her, something I had done successfully with previous talent.
I was warned at my interview that this presenter could be difficult. Everyone I spoke to about working with her said the same. In preparation, I spoke to a director who had worked with her. They said on location, she had refused to do pickups, causing a costly re-shoot; and that she always had a public disagreement with someone, and it was likely to be the director, and that I should not respond but take it, or it would escalate. In light of this, I decided to get a team that was experienced and emotionally robust.
On our first day on location, she refused to take my simple directions, including adhering to important safety advice. When I spoke to her about this, she shouted at me at the top of her voice, in front of the whole team including our driver and fixer. I was expecting it, so took it, but it was humiliating and uncalled for. It was verbally abusive.
Over the next week, she refused to take direction from me and jeopardised the shoot editorially. She confronted me at every opportunity. I politely spoke to her 3 times about her behaviour. Each time she said she would try, which she did for a few hours. She was obstructive in every way and it was relentless.
The team were afraid to talk to her about anything editorial, and couldn't believe how she spoke to me. They were enormously supported. I kept HQ updated throughout, they were telling me to hang in there, they knew her reputation and how difficult she was. Throughout my career, I’ve got used to working with bullies and being humiliated, but what I have never done, is allowed someone to jeopardise a film editorially, it is unacceptable when everyone else is working so hard.
I politely told her that if we couldn’t find a way of working together successfully, I would have to leave. She did not change and so eventually I left, walking off the shoot mid-way. I was not reprimanded for leaving mid shoot because there was ample proof of her bullying and obstructive behaviour, but I received no support from seniors, instead they wanted me to go away quietly, which I did. The presenter is still behaving badly. I was not angry with her, I am disappointed with the broadcaster, who know exactly what she's like, and by continuing to hire her, they are allowing her and many like her to behave in this way. They are saying her behaviour is ok. It isn’t ok. It is never ok.