– Broadcaster Anita Rani joins speakers from BAFTA, Channel 5, Channel 4, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, ScreenSkills and more –

– The Flagship Event Championing Diverse Women in TV, Film & the Creative Industries held at BFI Southbank, London, in September –

Tickets on sale now at: www.wonderwomentv.com

LONDON, 17 September 2025: The Wonder Women Conference has today unveiled the full programme for its 2025 edition, taking place on Friday 26 September at BFI Southbank, London. New additions to the line-up include broadcaster Anita Rani, Banijay UK COO Sarb Nijjer and the Media Trust’s Daisy Church. They join an already stellar line-up of senior executives and changemakers, including Debbie Ramsay, Lisa Opie, Emily Stillman, Zoe Birkett, Anna Higgs, and Jennifer Sobol.

Hosted by Wonder Women, the pioneering network championing diverse women in television, film, and the creative industries, the conference is designed for mid-to-senior-level professionals seeking career-advancing insights, meaningful connections, and immersive development training. This year’s programme brings together an exceptional line-up of leaders, creatives, and trailblazers – women who have broken barriers, redefined their fields, and continue to shape the future of the industry.

Best Known for BBC One’s Countryfile and The One Show, broadcaster and author Anita Rani will join Wonder Women founder Ria Hebden for an intimate fireside chat on resilience, representation, and her mission to open doors for the next generation.

Programme Highlights

The day’s programme features thought-provoking panels, an immersive masterclass, and exclusive networking opportunities, including:

• Pivot with Power Masterclass with Systemic Leadership Coach Remi Olajoyegbe.

• Women at the Top in Film & TV panel with Debbie Ramsay (Channel 5 News Editor), Emily Stillman (Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden SVP), Lisa Opie (ScreenSkills Chair), Rita Daniels (Channel 4 Commissioning Editor), Sreya Biswas (BBC Natural History, Director of Programmes) and Sarb Nijjer (Banijay UK COO). Moderated by Emma Crosby (Sky)

• How to Rise panel: Olympian Michelle Griffith Robinson, West End star Zoe Birkett, Anna Higgs (Character 7 and BAFTA Film Committee Chair), Nisma Patel Robb (Glittersphere) and Ali Hill (WPP Media). Moderated by BBC Broadcaster and Journalist Jacqueline Shepherd. 

• Positive Disrupters panel with Laura Winson (Zebedee Talent), leadership expert Elina Teboul (Feminine Intelligence), Charlotte Stavrou (Seven Six) and Lou Featherstone (Self Love Revolutions). Moderated by Ria Hebden (Wonder Women).

• WBD Access UK panel with Emma Cassidy (Senior Creative Director, Kids & Sport, Warner Bros. Discovery Creative EMEA), Lindsay Williams (Series Producer, Waterloo Road), Jennifer Sobol (Inclusion Pipeline Programmes Director, Warner Bros. Discovery) and Daisy Church (Programmes Manager, Media Trust). Moderated by Mariayah Kaderbhai (BAFTA).

Ria Hebden, Founder of Wonder Women, said: “I’m so proud of this year’s incredible line-up of inspirational women who will be taking to the stage to share their candid experiences and hard-won insights. The day is absolutely jam-packed with powerful sessions designed to spark inspiration, fuel career growth, and offer the kind of practical guidance we all need to thrive. I can’t wait to welcome our industry peers to BFI Southbank for what promises to be an energising and transformative day.”

Now in its third year, the Wonder Women Conference is the flagship event of Wonder Women CIC, the pioneering network dedicated to advancing diverse women in TV, film, and the creative industries. Against a backdrop of mounting global setbacks to DEI, the 2025 Wonder Women Conference promises its most ambitious edition yet. The programme delivers a powerful mix of thought-provoking discussions, career insights, skills development, a hands-on masterclass, and curated networking. With marginalised women still at risk of leaving the industry, the event is designed to tackle retention head-on – supporting career progression, building lasting peer networks, and equipping attendees with the tools, confidence, and inspiration to thrive.

The Wonder Women Conference 2025 is made possible by leading industry sponsors including WBD Access UK, WWP Media, Channel 4, Banijay, All3, Prime and the BFI awarding National Lottery funding, with Audio Network as the official music partner.

Launched by Ria Hebden in 2017, Wonder Women was born out of the industry’s need for structural and holistic support for underrepresented women in TV. Now operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC), the organisation offers a growing ecosystem of support, including live events, a podcast, monthly online networking, and the UK’s only year-long mentoring programme of its kind.

Wonder Women is guided by an esteemed advisory board of senior female leaders across media, law, coaching, and production, including: Nicole Marie Joseph (Various Artists Limited), Nicola Hill (Orchard Studios), Remi Olajoyegbe (Systemic Leadership Coach), Hayley Brady (Herbert Smith Freehills), Anne-Marie Douglas (Peer Power Youth), and new board members Tolu Akinsanya (Media Relations Expert) and Katrina Strauss (Alix Partners).

For tickets and more information, visit: www.wonderwomentv.com

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About Wonder Women TV

Founded in 2016 by television presenter Ria Hebden, Wonder Women TV (CIC) is the inspirational women’s network that champions the elevation of diverse women into senior leadership, while positively impacting social mobility, employability and diversity in Television and the Creative industries.

Wonder Women CIC produce a series of events that connects and inspire women, including Wonder Women Live held on International Women’s Day, now in its 8th year, the prestigious day-long Wonder Women Conference held at BAFTA, the newly launched Wonder Women Power Hour monthly online masterclass, and through the inspirational Wonder Women podcast, which features interviews with leading industry trailblazers. In addition to its inspirational live events, each year Wonder Women CIC hosts a year-long mentorship programme for 31 women, who receive free year-long leadership and development training from some of the industry’s most prolific executives and leaders. 

Supporters and previous speakers include; Former Channel 4 Head of News and Factual Dorothy Byrne, Fremantle’s Amelia Brown, Broadcaster Charlene White, BBC Head of Entertainment Kalpna Patel-Knight, Broadcaster Lorraine Kelly, Amazon Prime’s Donna Taberer, Sinitta, Producer Madeline Addy, UKTV Scripted Commissioning Editor Sarah Asante, Quay Street Productions COO Samantha McMillon, 72 Films Managing Director Sam Stewart, Box to Box Films Managing Director Samantha Lawrence, BBC Entertainment Commissioning Editor Ruby Kuraishe, All3Media International SVP in Non-Scripted Content Rachel Job, S4C Freelance Executive Producer Kate Thomas, leadership coach Michelle Moore, Script Supervisor Emma Thomas Fremantle UK Group Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Babita Bahal, BBC Studios Executive Producer Amanda Lyon, Pact Head of Diversity & Inclusion Anjani Patel, Douglas Road Productions Managing Director Angela Ferreira and more.

Wonder Women has been nominated twice by the National Diversity Awards, and Ria Hebden has been nominated for the Influencer Award for her work as Founder & CEO of Wonder Women TV at the 2023 Rise Awards.

Wonder Women is a Community Interest Company, steered by a distinguished advisory board which includes Nicole Marie Joseph (Various Artists Limited), Nicola Hill (Orchard Studios), Remi Olajoyegbe (Systemic Leadership Coach), Tolu Akinsanya (Media Relations Expert), Hayley Brady (Herbert Smith Freehills), Anne-Marie Douglas (Peer Power Youth) and Katrina Strauss (Alix Partners).

Wonder Women Conference – full line-up of speakers:

• Ali Hill, Managing Director, Motion Entertainment
• Anita Rani, Broadcaster and Author
• Anna Higgs, Managing Director, Character 7 and BAFTA Film Committee Chair
• Charlotte Stavrou, Founder, Seven Six Agency
• Daisy Church, Programmes Manager, Media Trust
• Debbie Ramsay, Editor, Channel 5 News
• Elina Teboul, Founder and Author, Feminine Intelligence
• Emily Stillman, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden
• Emma Cassidy, Senior Creative Director, Kids & Sport, Warner Bros. Discovery Creative EMEA
• Emma Crosby, Journalist & Presenter (CNBC, Sky News)
• Jacqueline Shepherd, Broadcaster & Journalist
• Jennifer Sobol, Director, Inclusion Pipeline Programmes, Warner Bros. Discovery
• Laura Winson, Co-Founder and Director, Zebedee Talent
• Lindsay Williams, Series Producer, Waterloo Road
• Lisa Opie, Chair, ScreenSkills
• Lulu Featherstone, Founder, Self Love Movement
• Mariayah Kaderbhai, Head of Programmes, BAFTA
• Michelle Griffith Robinson, Olympian, Life Coach and Motivational Speaker
• Nishma Patel Robb, Founder, Glittersphere
• Remi Olajoyegbe, Systemic Leadership Coach  
• Rita Daniels, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4
• Sarb Nijjer, Banijay UK COO
• Sreya Biswas, Director of Programmes, Natural History, BBC
• Zoe Birkett, Actress & West End Musical Star
• And Wonder Women founder and television presenter Ria Hebden, who will introduce and moderate across multiple sessions. 

ABOUT THE BFI

We are a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image. Our mission is:

• To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers
• To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive
• To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals – delivered online and in venue
• To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding of film and the moving image
• To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries

Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt OBE.