Men outnumber women in reality TV production roles in the UK and abroad, new research has found.
The report, conducted by Banijay Entertainment, Everywoman Studios and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, found men outnumber women in executive producer, creators and showrunner roles, making up 58.4 per cent of workers in those positions.
Researchers studied production teams across 360 unscripted TV programs in the UK, US, Brazil and France between 2021 and 2023 and found three in four (73.7 per cent) reality TV creators are male – across all countries and all years.
The report titled “Behind the Scenes: Women’s Representation in Unscripted Television in the US, UK, Brazil, and France” also states the industry considers hiring men as a more financially reliable choice, despite programmes produced or written by women often making more money.
Of all countries studied, the greatest male dominance in reality TV creation is in the US, where only 16 per cent of roles are filled by women.
Across all four countries, the amount of women in executive producer roles has increased by 10 per cent, from 36.6 per cent in 2021 to 46 per cent in 2023 – progress the study’s authors called “slow and inconsistent”.
“For women to fully make a mark on the industry, they need to not only be elevated to lead in the space as it currently exists, but also they need to be given the resources to reimagine and redesign it,” the researchers wrote.
The study’s authors also called on the reality TV production industry to prioritise closing the gender gap in both salaries and opportunities, creating mentorship programs for women in mid-level production roles to help advance them in their careers, and offering paid leave.
Sharon Levy, CEO of the production company Endemol Shine North America said: “The whole entertainment industry needs to step up and make it easier for women to reach these top spots.
“It’s time to tackle this massive gender gap head-on.”
Abby Greensfelder, Founder & CEO, Everywoman Studios added: “This study confirms that without intervention, we are far away from seeing the equity in the industry we all are striving for.”