Staff Writer, BBC Studios Audio Comedy in City of London

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-term Contract, Part-time 4 dpw (one position starting Monday 23rd February 2026, another with start date tbc Sept 2026)

DEPARTMENT: BBC Studios Audio Comedy and Entertainment

LOCATION: London - Television Centre (London W12) or New Broadcasting House (London W1). There is the opportunity to work remotely when not required to attend writers rooms in person.

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: Up to £34,636 (£27,709 0.8 FTE) plus London Weighting £5441 (pro rata'd to 0.8 FTE) depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience.

Interviews will be held w/c 12th and 19th January 2026. Please note: candidates are requested not to use AI as part of creative writing tasks.

A webinar Q&A hosted by a member of the BBC Studios Audio Comedy and Entertainment leadership team alongside Current Staff Writers will be held on 25th November from 8:00‑8:45.

WE ARE BBC STUDIOS: A globally renowned media company borne of the BBC. We make and distribute the world’s most sought‑after TV, audio and digital content. Our ambition is to be the home of the most powerful, entertaining and inspiring stories for people all around the world.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE: Are you a writer developing a career in comedy and entertainment? Do you aspire to be a full‑time comedy writer with the dream of creating the next big hit sitcom, sketch show or comedy entertainment format? Then this is the position for you. This is an opportunity to join the award‑winning Comedy and Entertainment team at BBC Studios Audio. We make a wide variety of programmes including comedy podcasts, radio panel shows, sitcoms and comedy entertainment formats. We champion the work of new and emerging talent as well as working with some of the all‑time greats.

We make radio and podcasts for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds as well as producing a growing slate of programmes for commercial audio platforms. Our shows include The News Quiz, Just a Minute, Mark Steel’s In Town, Laura Smyth’s Your Mum, Nature Table with Sue Perkins, Dead Ringers, Tim Key’s Poetry Programme, The Lively Life of Lindsey Santoro, DMs are Open and many more. Our podcast portfolio includes The Big Pitch with Jimmy Carr for Netflix, Dancing with the Stars for Disney+, and Strong Message Here with Armando Iannucci for BBC Sounds. We also recently produced Zeroes, a new comedy drama for Audible by David Reed starring Paterson Joseph and Danielle Vitalis.

This role also provides the opportunity to work closely with our TV producer colleagues in the wider BBC Studios Comedy team – after all this is the department that has over the years seen Little Britain, Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop, The League of Gentlemen and Ladhood make the transition from radio to TV.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM: The staff writer works closely with producers to develop their own comedy projects whilst also contributing to scripts across the output of the whole department as needed. As well as playing a key role in our topical writers’ rooms, the successful candidate will develop their own comedy characters and sitcom ideas in close collaboration with BBC Studios’ Audio and TV Comedy teams and with Radio 4’s Comedy and Entertainment Commissioner.

In recent years the focus has shifted from topical joke writing to sitcom and comedy character development. Whilst we will still expect the successful candidate to play a key part in our topical writers rooms, we hope that they will use their time with us to concentrate on developing narrative ideas. They would, with support from producers in the team, get the opportunity to develop new ideas for Radio 4 with the aim of winning a script commission at the end of their time with us.

This role has a strong historic link to Radio 4 Comedy, with the network commissioning many previous alumni for their own series on Radio 4 and providing a springboard for their future careers. We would continue this legacy by connecting the successful candidate with the Radio 4 Comedy and Entertainment Commissioner to allow them to discuss and develop their ideas and help them start building a fruitful relationship with Radio 4.

We also work closely with our TV colleagues and so as part of this contract, the staff writer would have the chance to get input on their TV ideas from the Head of Development and Creative Director at BBC Studios TV Comedy. Our TV team are very aware of the importance of the audio to TV pipeline in terms of developing new writing and so they would be keen to collaborate with the successful candidate during their time with us.

Alongside this focus on narrative, the successful candidate will also write funny content for all types of comedy programmes, from links for the hosts of panel shows to satirical one‑liners and sketches for topical shows like The News Quiz, Dead Ringers and DMs are Open. They would also help producers to develop ideas for new formats, help with story structure in sitcoms and punch up scripts with extra jokes. If you love comedy and are brimming with ideas you want to get made, this is your dream job!

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• To develop a narrative audio comedy idea with funny returning characters who could be at the heart of the nation’s next favourite sitcom.
• To write for any of our shows as required. We produce a wide variety of formats and styles. You’ll be a versatile writer who can create one‑liners, host links, sketches, narrative and more.
• To contribute as required to long‑running topical series like News Quiz and Dead Ringers, working to tight deadlines.
• To script‑edit sketch and narrative comedy shows.
• To write to a brief set by a producer or another writer and to contribute to idea‑generating sessions.
• To develop scripted and non‑scripted podcast ideas for development.
• To comply with the BBC’s policies on Diversity and Inclusion.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• At least two professional writing credits in audio or TV comedy.
• A good knowledge of comedy and a passion for both the comedy world and writing comedy.
• Experience of working with performers and writers, creating material that showcases them at their best.
• Experience of originating and developing ideas, working to notes and briefs from producers and commissioners.
• The drive to be a self‑starter who is able to instigate projects and take an active role in their development.
• The desire to make new contacts and to be confident in networking around the office and at wider industry events.
• Experience of writing to a brief set by others and to write in other people’s voices.
• The ability to treat colleagues with respect and inclusivity and to support and encourage others.