Sioned Wiliam (born 1962) is a Welsh comedy producer and executive. A former controller of comedy for ITV, she became the commissioning editor of comedy for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra in March 2015 and served in the post for seven years.Jake Kante
"Sioned Wiliam joins Radio 4 commissioning team"
''Broadcast'', 19 January 2015 Sioned Wiliam is the daughter of Welsh-language writer

Urien Wiliam Urien Wiliam (7 November 1929 – 21 October 2006) was a Welsh language novelist and dramatist. Wiliam was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, the son of Professor Stephen J. Williams, an academic at Swansea University. He became an expert in ...

. Raised in Barry, South Wales, she attended a Welsh-speaking comprehensive, Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, before reading drama at

Aberystwyth University , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

and subsequently studying at Jesus College, Oxford. While at Oxford University, she began performing in the Oxford Revue, working with Rebecca Front and Armando Iannucci, among others.Abbie Wrightwic
"Award-winning Welsh TV producer Sioned Wiliam launches new novel"
''Wales Online'', 16 November 2013 With Front, she was part of the comedy and music duo, the Bobo Girls; the two women performed as this act at the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

in 1989 and in a radio series, ''Girls Will Be Girls'', which ran for two series broadcast in 1989 and 1991. Wiliam joined the BBC Radio's Light Entertainment department in 1988,"Wiliam steps into ITV comedy post"
''Broadcast'', 18 June 1999 but left in 1991 to produce the live television show ''Tonight With

Jonathan Ross Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s, hosted his own radio show on ...

'' broadcast by Channel 4, remaining with the programme for a year. Subsequently, she joined the independent production companies Talkback, the company founded by Mel Smith and

Griff Rhys-Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...

, and

Hat Trick A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

. With Geoffrey Perkins, she produced ''

Game On A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (su ...

'' for Hat Trick. Wiliam was appointed the controller of comedy for ITV in June 1999. During this period, Wiliam revived the single-comedy film on ITV, according to Wiliam, in the tradition of earlier projects developed from scripts by Jack Rosenthal and Alan Bennett.Jason Dean
"A self-confessed comedy nerd"
''The Guardian'', 26 September 2005 Wiliam also admitted in September 2005 to being interested in developing sitcoms, a declining format, especially on ITV1. She left her post at ITV in January 2006 following decisions made by Simon Shaps, director of television, about management restructuring. Wiliam then became a freelance independent producer. Wiliam rejoined the BBC in March 2015 to commission Radio 4's comedy output and works for the network on three days each week. She partially replaced Caroline Raphael (whose remit had also included fiction) who had left the BBC. An announcement she was standing down from this role during 2022 was made in January. Julia McKenzie was announced as her replacement in April. Wiliam is married to Ian Brown, known for his scripts for the '' My Family'' sitcom; the couple have a son. Her first novel ''Dal i Fynd'' (written in Welsh) was published in 2013.

References

External links

Biography: Sioned Wiliam
Linda Seifert Management
"Commissioner's Q&A - Sioned Wiliam"
''Broadcasdt'' magazine, 12 December 2003 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wiliam, Sioned 1962 births Living people Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford BBC executives BBC radio producers British television executives Women television executives British television producers English women comedians English comedy writers British women television producers Women radio producers