Platform Media taps Alex Watson to drive Listen, their ambitious entertainment and TVs label’s originals push – starting with The Buckleys, hosted by Clair and James Buckley.

Alex joins from Pixiu Podcast, where he served as Head of Content, playing an instrumental role in shaping the company’s creative and commercial approach in his nine-year tenure. Having led a high-performing creative team, Alex developed a string of standout series with top tier talent, including Fearless with Trinny Woodall, Happy Mum Happy Baby with Giovanna Fletcher, and Plot Twist for Sky.

Continuing his streak of taking entertainment formats to the next level, Alex is set to take the reins on the chart-topping Platform Media original, The Buckleys. Launched in November 2024, The Buckleys is the Spotify Top 10 Comedy podcast hosted by Clair and James Buckley, the latter best-known for his role as Jan in The Inbetweeners. With no guests or gimmicks, the show has already racked up 7.2 million long-form plays across video and audio.

Beyond launching entertainment hits, Alex has carved out a strong reputation in the branded audio space, leading standout campaigns for major players including Audable, Spotify, The British Library, Penguin Books, NatWest, Virgin, Deezer, and BT Sport. He now brings that expertise, and a deep network of industry relationships, to Platform’s high-performing commercial team who were recently recognized in The Drum Marketing Awards 2025.

Alex Watson says: “Platform Media’s merger with Listen and Goldhawk Productions makes it out as a supergroup in the UK content landscape. I’m incredibly excited to join this team at a time of such momentum and ambition – to help shape the next wave of standout shows.”

Darby Dorras, Chief Content Officer at Platform Media says: “Listen have led the charge on premium entertainment formats, we’re thrilled to have Alex on board to support this next phase of growth. With a sharp commercial instinct and a deep understanding of the audio landscape, Alex will be instrumental in turning Listen’s hit original podcast into powerful revenue drivers.”A

Alex will Executive Produce on The Buckleys, as well as Listen’s growing slate which includes Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong Its Right, Making a Scene with David Walliams and Matt Lucas, and The Traitors: Uncloaked. Listen is one label under the Platform Media supergroup, which also includes their factual and fiction label, Goldhawk and their sports label, Folding Pocket.

Leading podcast production company, Listen, is proud to announce as Director of Marketing and Partnerships, a newly formed role that will see her lead the company’s commercial and growth strategy across their award-winning visualized slate, expanding originals and Labs, it’s marketing and consulting division.

Emma brings 15 years of PR and media expertise, including a standout three-year stint at The Diary of a CEO, where she was involved from its startup phase. She played a pivotal role in the podcast’s rapid growth, securing extensive press coverage and booking major guests such as Stephen Fry, Luis Capaldi, and Louis Theroux.

Emma also expanded the podcast’s distribution to 14 airlines, including BA, Emirates, and JetBlue, and launched the first video podcast fast channel on Samsung TV Plus across the UK, Germany, Austria, and The Netherlands. Additionally, she worked on the USA chart-topping podcast, Modern Wisdom, hosted by Chris Williamson, securing high-profile guests and new distribution opportunities to broaden the show’s reach and impact.

At Listen, Emma will enhance and grow the existing podcast slate, while driving fresh creative and commercial opportunities for talent-led original podcasts. Through Listen Labs, she will enhance and grow the premier podcast consultancy, trusted by top brands like Netflix, The Telegraph, and Sheerluxe. Emma brings her exceptional partnership expertise, having driven innovative collaborations with leading brands including WHOOP, The Financial Times, and Mercedes.

Josh Adley, Managing Director at Listen says: “Emma joins us at a hugely exciting time for the company, 2024 has been our most widely recognized and commercially successful year to date. As we move into the next phase of Listen’s growth, Emma’s unrivaled experience of building global podcast brands and securing flagship commercial deals will add significant value to Listen’s shows. The insight she will bring to Listen Labs will be valuable to our clients.”

Emma Wiliams adds: “With its reputation as a leader in visualized podcasts, I’m incredibly excited to be joining Listen at such a pivotal time. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the team and contributing to the ongoing success and growth of its exceptional diverse podcast slate and beyond!”

The Listen team have never been busier, with the recent launch of M&S’s Proper Tasty Pub Quiz, hosted by Tom Kerridge and broadcaster Chris Stark, a new season of The Traitors: Uncloaked confirmed, and a continued focus on the third season of Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s Right, following its British Podcast Award win last week.

Plus, Rylan and Scott Mills continue to bring their signature charm and wit to new BBC visualized podcast, Pop Top 10, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey through pop culture.

Listen announces a host of senior hires who will drive the agency into an ambitious new era of original podcasts. The agency has appointed Darby Dorras as Director of Content. It also welcomes Amber Bateman, Creative Lead from Mags Creative, as an Executive Producer and Josh Adley as Managing Director, previously Director of Commercial and Client Relations.

Since its launch in 2019, Listen has become the UK’s leading independent podcast production agency, setting the gold standard in branded content and commissioned work for global startup platforms. Listen are the current APAs Production Company of the Year and recently won Best Startup Agency at the 2022 ALF awards.

The team has created award-winning global podcasts for clients including BBC Sounds’ 28ish Days Later and That Gemma Collins Podcast, Audible’s Titting About with French and Saunders, Michael Caine: Heroes and Sky Bingo’s Ry-Union, plus award-winning content for Spotify, Amazon Music, BMW, Vodafone, MTV and Comedy Central.

Building on the agency’s success, Listen will now deliver its first ever podcast originals slate, brought to life by the newly appointed Director of Content. In his role, Dorras will bring creative leadership to the agency and drive bold, innovative originals, while continuing to grow its award-winning work for brands.

Dorris’s joins after a decade at Somethin’ Else, part of Sony Music Entertainment, as an industry-leading Executive Producer. He’s created podcasts for clients from the BBC to Bloomberg to Vanity Fair, been instrumental in the growth of Somethin’ Else’s branded podcast work, and delivered a creative vision that’s helped shape a globally successful originals slate.

Dorras’ years of experience also span across radio: exec’ing weekly strands and dramas for Radio 4, docs for Radio 2 and 4, series for the Audio Content Fund and he was the creative force behind the pan-industry radio spot, The Mental Health Minute. Previously Dorras had an insatiable appetite for food content, leading both BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet and Somethin’ Else podcast Out to Lunch with Jay Rayner to become two of the UKs top food audio shows, winning multiple Guild of Food Writers and Fortnum and Mason Food Awards.

Dorras is a multiple BPA, ARIA and NYF Radio Awards nominee and winner, as well as being a ReelWorld Radio Academy 30 Under 30 Alumnus and winner of the prestigious ‘The Gold Award” at the APAs. As someone with a physical disability, he is a passionate advocate for creating a more accessible, diverse audio industry and is the Founder of Disabled People in Audio.

Amber Bateman joins as an Executive Producer with significant experience as Creative Lead at Mags Creative, working with commissioners and global brand clients including Google, Meta, Spotify and Puffin. She has a track record for developing successful wider podcasting brands that have topped charts and won awards. She is excited by the potential that ‘vodcasts’ bring to the traditionally audio-only landscape and is passionate about employing a 360-brand approach to podcasts: connecting crucial moments and conversations as part of a multi-channel strategy. In 2021, she was one of the Radio Academy’s 30 Under 30.

Josh Adley, Listen’s MD, said: “From our first conversation that Darby was the right person to drive us forward creatively as we develop and launch our first slate of original shows. His wealth of experience across genres speaks for itself and his creative energy is a force to be reckoned with. I’m equally delighted that Amber was inspired by our vision to join the team, adding to our existing heavyweight exec producers Suzy Grant, Nick Minter and Paul Thomas. As we move forward, expect more premium shows bolstered by a fresh slate of original podcasts. We are only just getting started.”

Darby Dorras, Listen’s Director of Content added: “I’m hugely excited to be joining Listen. In just three years, they’ve built an industry-leading team who are delivering a diverse range of standout audio content. I can’t wait to bring my experience and creative leadership to the company as we enter this next phase at a crucial moment in podcasting. Expect big, bold, innovative, and provocative ideas that will underpin our new originals slate, and continue to feed and grow our work-for-hire.