Media entrepreneur, comedian, podcaster, writer and performer Cally Beaton has been confirmed as host of this year’s Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards (B&LLAs) taking place on Thursday 25 April.

Cally has three decades’ experience distributing TV programmes and formats around the world – combining working with on-screen and production talent with business planning and strategy, bridging the divide between creative and financial priorities.

But that’s not all. While working for Viacom’s Comedy Central, she also developed a parallel life as a performer and stand-up comedian.

Cally has held senior management positions at some of the biggest media companies in the world. Early in her career she headed an independent television production company that was bought by ITV and went on to find herself the youngest and only female member of the board.

She left to set up an award-winning creative consultancy company, Road Trip Media, and went on to do a ten-year stint as Senior Vice President at the US studio giant ViacomCBS. There, she oversaw a multi-million dollar budget for brands including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount.

As she points out, if you want someone to blame for bringing South Park and SpongeBob SquarePants to the world, you need look no further.

In her parallel life she is popular with BBC Radio 4 audiences where her appearances include The Now Show, The Unbelievable Truth, Saturday Live, Museum Of Curiosity, PM and Woman’s Hour. She is also a regular contributor on Radio 5 Live, Times Radio, Scala Radio and BBC London and has done QI and House of Games on the telly.

Cally has also written for The Guardian and The Financial Times and is one of the country’s most highly regarded keynote and after-dinner speakers, and an experienced and accomplished awards host.

And she knows a few things about the licensing business too. So get set for an engaging, funny and informed lunch at the B&LLAs!

The Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2024 will take place on Thursday 25 April in the Nine Kings Suite, Royal Lancaster Hotel, London.

You can check out the full list of finalists here.

The winners will be announced at a spectacular awards event that includes a cocktail reception, lunch, awards ceremony and entertainment. A bar will be open after the awards at the venue until 8pm for more networking.

There is still time to get a ticket to the event, but don’t delay. You can contact Clare at Createvents on clare@createvents.co.uk or 0118 334 0085. You can also reserve and pay online at the Max Publishing Digital Box Office.

Headline sponsor of the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards 2024 is Brand Licensing Europe. It is also supported by Licensing International.

Category and associate sponsors include: Beanstalk, CAA Brand Management, Brandgenuity, emoji, Golden Goose, Hearst UK, Lisle Licensing, Metrostar, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Octane 5/Brandcomply, Perfetti Van Melle, Pink Key Licensing, Poetic Brands, Products of Change, RHS, Sanderson Design Group, Sara Miller London, Seminal, Smiley, Spring Fair 2025 and Start Licensing.