ITV has unveiled the six commissions that will form part of the 2025 Fresh Cuts series. The shows, which will premiere on ITVX and YouTube later this year, were commissioned as part of ITV’s £80m Diversity Commissioning Spend.
The line up will be produced by talent including DJ Ras Kwame (pictured), TV Collective Breakthrough leader Sebastian Whyte, the director of ITV’s The Assembly Cein McGillicuddy, and creative director and producer Jess Mitchell. The commissions also include Fresh Cuts first ever sketch show commission, Say Less! from Kevin Muyolo at Daddy’s Super Yacht! as well as a trainers restoration format from TV Collective Breakthrough Leader Tamara Barton-Campbell at Renaissance Studios.
The programmes have been commissioned by Richard Botchway, commissioning editor at ITV, who will oversee the series alongside Nahrein Kemp, DEI & talent lead. He said: “We are incredibly excited and immensely proud of the 2025 Fresh Cuts commissions. This stellar lineup showcases outstanding talent and brings fresh, diverse voices to our screens, truly reflecting the vibrant creativity within the UK.”
Kemp added: “Each programme showcases outstanding talent and we can’t wait to bring their fresh, diverse and vibrant voices to ITVX and our ITV Youtube channel.”
The six 22-minute original programmes are:
In Convo, from RK the DJ Productions: A series of conversations celebrating life, the arts and human existence. Filmed in the stylised way of LeBron James’s ‘The Shop’ podcast, and anchored by Ras Kwame, In Convo opens the door to unfiltered, honest conversations with a range of guests.
Black Britain – A Tale of Two Cultures (W/T), from Whispering Rebel: A light-hearted but honest candid insight into the relationship between the UK’s Black African and Caribbean communities – a celebration of culture, camaraderie, and the evolving identity of Black Britain (directed by filmmaker Sebastian Whyte).
Say! Less! from Daddy’s Super Yacht: A fast-paced, self-aware sketch show created and executive produced by Kevin Muyolo, fronted by a cast of rising Black comedy stars, with each episode a rapid-fire mix of viral parodies, absurd characters, and wild sketches that channel the energy of online culture and the awkwardness of offline reality.
The Re-Store from Renaissance Studios: The Re-Store is an unscripted special where every pair of trainers has a past, and every clean-up leads to something deeper. Fronted by Jordan Taylor, the show blends real people’s stories with sneaker restoration, games, Black British history, celebrity moments and culture-driven humour. It all happens inside a high-energy London sneaker clinic where storytelling is as important as the stitching.
Play Time from Céin McGillicuddy and Andy Kinnear: A witty and heartwarming concept from the director of The Assembly, Play Time challenges neurodiverse actors and comedians, in just a few hours, to put together and perform an original, awe-inspiring stage play… based entirely on the creative, weird and wonderful ideas of a class of neurodivergent primary school children.
Blind MatchMakers – from Jessica Mitchell, Different Productions: The Blind Matchmakers puts blind experts in charge of the dating game, flipping the script on love. “In a world obsessed with appearances, filters and first impressions, what happens when your destiny in love is placed in the hands of someone who can’t see you, but knows exactly what to look for?” The show is hosted by Lucy Edwards, blind beauty influencer and broadcaster with over 1.8 million TikTok followers.
