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Our Story

Rough House was founded in 1998 by two BBC journalists whose varied careers have spanned television, radio, newspapers, online and magazines.

When we began, our main offering was media training. Since then, we’ve expanded and now provide a whole range of courses, as well as crisis communications strategy and video production.

We have trained clients everywhere from Arizona to Australia – working both face-to-face and virtually.

We work closely with both PR agencies and our clients’ in-house communications departments, becoming trusted advisors and providing bespoke services to fulfil their specific requirements.

How it works

Our promise to you: Total engagement and commitment

When a client commissions one of our services, whether training, consultancy or video production, the first stage is a briefing call to find out what they hope to achieve. We discuss in detail what they are looking for and put together a set of recommendations. We liaise closely with them throughout to provide them with the best possible service.

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Meet Our team

Our team consists of outstanding individuals who have worked at the highest level in the media.

We all have extensive experience working with senior spokespeople across the world to deliver presentations and give interviews with the media both pro-actively and in crisis situations.

Ann Wright media training expert

Ann Wright

Ann has more than 25 years’ experience working with the media – from both sides of the fence. She draws on her experience as a print journalist and TV producer working on high profile and prestigious BBC programmes to create effective strategies and courses to raise her clients’ profile and influence, and to protect their reputation in a crisis.

Graham Fitzgerald

Graham is an experienced TV & digital news producer who has reported for national newspapers and produced news & current affairs programmes for the BBC, ITV, and Sky News. The co-founder of Rough House Media, he has designed & delivered courses for clients including Nokia, the RAF Benevolent Fund and the Civil Aviation Authority.

Paul Curran

Paul has more than 22 years’ experience as a journalist for the BBC and has interviewed Prime Ministers, chief executives and celebrities.
He has delivered media and crisis communications training for clients including Institutional Investor, Bowel Cancer UK and the International Red Cross.
He is an experienced video producer and leads our smartphone video courses.

Sarah Morris-Beale

Sarah has 25 years’ experience as a print and broadcast journalist. She has worked for BBC in London, Brussels and Washington, and at Channel Four News.
As a PR executive, she focused on the charitable sector, working for the Churches Conservation Trust and Why Me.
Clients she has media trained include Nestle, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Institutional Investor.

Sue Carruthers

Sue has over 20 years’ experience in training and coaching. She specialises in working with individuals and small groups on presentation, interpersonal and communication skills, and coaching presenters who need to deliver engagingly to large audience. She helps clients build their know-how and self-belief using an approach that is both pragmatic and sensitive.

Simon Brooke

Simon has 25 years’ experience in communications training and development.
He writes and edits for national newspapers and specialist publications on subjects ranging from management to the environment and the internet.
Clients he has media trained include the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy and Cambridge Assessment.

Rob Curling

Rob has fronted numerous television programmes for the BBC and Sky, and as a commentator he has covered events such as the Olympics, Wimbledon, The Open and the Six Nations.
He hosts the UKs No 1 aviation podcast, Top Landing Gear.
Rob has media trained clients including St Andrews University, Nokia, Finnair and the Kennel Club.

Sarah Deech

Sarah is an experienced TV reporter and producer, having worked for BBC Television and Radio in the UK and abroad.
While in Washington, she covered two US elections and series produced the international documentary strand Our World. 
She has media trained clients including the International Chamber of Shipping, Euromoney and Institutional Investor.

Martine Croxall

Martine is a TV presenter with the BBC News Channel and has covered major news stories from the aftermath of 9/11 to the coronavirus pandemic.
She chairs discussions for organisations such as the European Parliament, and coaches in presentation and communications skills.
Martine is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Graeme Bowd

Graeme worked as a reporter for the Daily Mail and the Daily Express both in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. He then spent over 15 years at ITV, appearing in hundreds of live broadcasts.
He has media trained clients ranging from NATO and Kenyan Airways to the Animal Health Trust.
He is also part of the Rough House video production team.

Jacky Rowland

Jacky is an experienced media trainer, having worked with the Charities Aid Foundation, the Centre for European Policy Studies and Transparency International.

As a journalist, she has worked for the BBC and Al Jazeera, and currently writes arts and culture features. She is a fluent French speaker and was based in Paris for six years.

Sumit Bose

Sumit has worked in print, radio and TV, specialising in science, the environment and energy. He has reported for the Independent, the Times, New Scientist, the BBC, ITV and Sky, and fronted the award-winning current affairs strand Inside Out.

He is the founder of the energy news platforms Energy Live News and Future Net Zero.

Paul Brennan

Paul has more than 25 years’ experience as a journalist and presenter. Starting in newspapers, he has worked across radio and TV for the BBC, ITV, Channel 5, and Reuters. He is a media trainer and presentation coach and produces corporate videos and web content, working for clients in the private, public and third sector.

Andy Ivy

Andy has more than 30 years’ experience as an editor and presenter in radio, television and digital media. 
At Sky News he produced live TV programmes before launching a national radio service.
He is a news presenter at LBC and Share Radio, and has media trained a wide variety of public and private sector organisations.

Ben Holloway 

Ben has been a freelance video camera operator and editor for over 25 years.He’s created videos for everyone from the Sunday Times to charities and corporates, which are used both in-house and for promotional purposes.As well as video production, Ben also supports our media and presentation skills courses, providing a camera operator’s view for our delegates.

Alyx Barker

Alyx has worked in journalism for over 15 years, starting in print before moving into television. She has presented, reported, produced and edited for Channel 5 News, ITV and Talk TV, carrying out countless interviews. She currently programme edits and reports on a weekly show about UK politics on the international channel, TRT World.

Frequently asked questions

Discover the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions

How are your courses structured?

The structure of each course depends on your requirements. We will design your course once we have had a full briefing with you, to make sure it meets your precise needs.

We conduct extensive research into your organisation, the sector and the issues you face before any training course.

We believe that the best way for people to develop their skills and confidence is through practical experience.

All our courses include a range of interactive exercises, and we provide immediate feedback with constructive advice on how to improve. After the course, delegates receive written feedback, and an e-book, summarising everything covered.

As all our courses are bespoke, we will tailor them to your precise needs, which means we are able to combine different topics and include any areas you want us to cover.

We work with both individuals and groups and can train any number of people at one time, depending on your requirements.

A standard full-day group media or presentation skills course will normally be for up to five people. If you need to train more, we will structure and manage the course to accommodate this and ensure that every delegate has the opportunity to practise their skill and receive individual feedback.

Courses can last for an hour, half a day, a full day or more. As our courses are bespoke, the length and timing will be determined by your needs – and your availability.

We have a large and responsive team and are able to provide our services at short notice, if needs be.

No, our courses are all designed specifically for our clients.

Since all our courses are bespoke, our fees depend on the specifics of the service we are providing.

We offer a 15% discount for charities.

Trusted by top organisations worldwide

"We had an excellent Crisis Comms training session. Rough House put together a tailored programme which covered all the aspects we'd highlighted. On the day, they led us through really useful and engaging content which has helped us establish next steps. We also received a useful resource pack post-session. Our trainer was a brilliant facilitator with extensive knowledge and experience in all things media. Their advice and tips on dealing with crisis comms were invaluable."
Sarah Tridgellhead of marketing and comms, Astroscale
"Rough House is brilliant to work with. Their knowledge, experience and skill shine through in what they do. The media training days we have had with them are testing, engaging and fun. Colleagues who have taken part universally feed back that they feel so much more equipped and confident after the sessions. Looking forward to working with Rough House again in the future."
Chris SteelDir of Comms, Avenues
"I had brilliant feedback from the team – Rough House made them feel at ease in front of the camera, they came away armed with techniques for media interviews and they couldn't wait to put their training into real life scenarios. What was so amazing was the personalised service with the interview questions aimed at their role in the organisation. I would highly recommend Rough House to other organisations."
Francesca Corbett Bowel Cancer UK
"The Rough House team were great, very supportive and clear with what we were trying to achieve with each exercise. We’re far better equipped for dealing with a crisis situation. Team members now have the knowledge and understanding of key considerations and who should be kept informed in a crisis. Rough House approach is professional and informed as the team have worked in so many relevant industries/companies, with so many different relevant experiences."
Nicky PysdenBrewers Crisis Comms training
"We've worked with Rough House Media as media trainers for over ten years and have always been very impressed by their service. People are often nervous about media appearances and interviews but the team are great at helping them overcome their fears and understand how the media works. Their knowledge of the media is excellent and they're always helpful, flexible and effective."
Ceri-Jane HacklingCerub PR
"Ann and the Rough House team have been both helpful and diligent in helping us to ensure that the Charities Aid Foundation is putting its best foot forward when we speak publicly about the work we do on behalf of charities and donors. They have delivered practical, accessible media training that boosts confidence and enables us to communicate clearly about our mission to improve lives through philanthropy. Thanks to the team for all of their support. "
Caroline MallanCharities Aid Foundation
"We had an excellent, jam-packed session on presentation skills. The whole agenda was focused, engaging and practical and each activity had clear focus and added value. We were each filmed presenting and applying our newly learnt skills, which whilst daunting, was done in a supportive way, with specific, constructive feedback for all of us. Martine was inspiring and no-nonsense as the training lead. A genuine day to remember, well worth prioritising the time in a busy schedule."
Michelle NorthDep Dir of Service, Chartered Management Institute
"The smartphone video course was excellent, everybody really enjoyed it. It was very interactive,with lots of really useful tips and techniques. Everybody found the software really easy to use and enjoyed shooting some scenes and sequences. I really think they've got the confidence to make some short videos that will really benefit the team. The trainers were excellent, really hands on, the pitch was right so it catered for people of different levels, with different technical abilities and skills."
Esme TurnerCompanies House
"The team were great, easy to communicate with and our trainer Paul was very knowledgeable and helpful.We now as a team have a greater awareness what is involved in creating video content, as well as the equipment, software and time needed. The team now feel more confident that we can plan and edit basic videos that suit our needs. We covered a lot of ground in one day - it was an intense day but worth it! We would recommend Rough House to others."
Frankie TaylorGardens Trust
"It was a real pleasure to work with Rough House – they were very professional and helpful throughout the process, and our spokespeople found the training very helpful. It definitely stretched them and challenged them, and they felt they have improved their skills in this area. I would definitely recommend Rough House, and will use them again if we need further spokespeople trained."
Rachael OliverHead of Communications, General Pharmaceutical Council
"If you're looking for media trainers, Rough House really knows their stuff. They'll work with you to design customised training scenarios so your spokespeople can really practice using relevant key messages and talking points, something ours have found really valuable."
Maggie EckelICE
"I have worked with Rough House Media a number of times and for different organisations, each time the training has been on point and well structured. The skills provided for staff in both presentation skills and engagement with the press has enhanced their confidence and enhanced the impact of the organisation. The Rough House Media team are always flexible and great to work with, which really helps an organisation to meet its objectives."
Stuart NeilCommunications Director, International Chamber of Shipping
"The team delivered us a brilliant crisis simulation exercise. We developed a scenario together and they provided interjects, role played a number of pre-defined roles and mocked up calls from journalists, social media posts, interviews, etc. Our senior management team found it incredibly useful, and we have already put lessons learnt into place, to improve our crisis response in future. Would recommend and hope to work with the team again."
Stephanie WilliamsBusiness Risk and Insurance Manager, Kew Gardens
"TLM used Rough House Media to produce in-house safeguarding videos. The team was very responsive, worked collaboratively with us and made the whole experience enjoyable. Rough House went over and above the original brief and produced a high quality product that is already having a significant impact."
Damaris VillenuevaLeprosy Mission
"Rough House delivered a fantastic and thorough half-day session for one of our key spokespeople ahead of a campaign launch. Ann really understood our organisation's key messages and any potential media questions, and gave great feedback and eased any nerves or concerns. Our spokesperson quickly developed and grew in confidence over the session. Would recommend the Rough House team for media training."
Laura Mehers Media and Communications Officer, National Literacy Trust
"Our presentation skills session was brilliant - really focused on practical advice and frameworks to improve our skills. We each gave short presentations and the feedback we each got was personalised, constructive and supportive. Martine was also an inspiring session lead - one of the group described the session as 'life-changing'! Would strongly recommend this training - best bang for your buck in terms of cost and time commitment that I've come across."
MeganOpen Innovation
"Solvay used Rough House to produce some safety videos and from start to finish of the process, they impressed us with their creative input and efficiency whilst working to a tight schedule. We were never in doubt the final product would reflect well on our site and this proved to be the case. Communication relating to planning and preparation prior to filming, was of a very high standard. This allowed the two days of filming to run smoothly and to be a very enjoyable experience."
Wayne BarrattSolvay
"I really enjoyed the training and thought that Sue was great – really engaging and high energy. I felt that I learned a lot and now have some excellent tips and techniques that I can use when next presenting, esp to larger audiences."
Caroline AustinSustrans
"The training packages were excellent - thorough, carefully researched, tailored to individuals and designed to build confidence and enhance strengths as well as address weakness across a range of interview and media scenarios. A good investment in premium training delivered by highly experienced professionals."
Niall ScottDirector of Comms, University of St Andrews
"Rough House Media brilliantly helped us turn a corner with our media training for some of our senior spokespeople. A half-day session was delivered with authority but also with bags of empathy. An excellent understanding of the key issues we face and how to navigate them from industry experts who've been there, seen it and done it."
Victoria Ribbans,dep head of comms, Westminster Abbey