Waddell makes Escape to Florida for Channel 4

Northern Ireland based Waddell Media has secured a commission from Channel 4 for a new lifestyle format, Escape to Florida. The series has been developed with support from Northern Ireland Screen. 

The twenty-part format for Channel 4 daytime follows the lives of the Brits escaping Blighty to start a new life in the Sunshine State. Over 450,000 Brits are already living 4,300 miles from the UK lured by the promise of year-round sunshine, affordable property prices and no income tax. With a large ex-pat community Florida has British – themed pubs, a pie shop and British supermarkets stocked with Birdseye fish fingers, but is life away from home all it’s cracked up to be? 

Executive Produced by Jannine Waddell MBE for Waddell Media, the series was commissioned for Channel 4 by Senior Commissioning Editor Jayne Stanger and Director of Nations and Regions and Head of Lifestyle, Jo Street, with Commissioning Executive Jasper Hone. 

Jayne Stanger said, “We all dream of living the good life and many Brits are lured by the sunshine, beaches and lack of language barrier that Florida has to offer. Plenty of Brits travel there on holiday but what could it really be like to navigate living and working in a state that has no income tax but plenty of extreme weather and alligators!“

Jannine Waddell MBE, MD of Waddell Media said, “This is a super-exciting commission for us. There are thousands of compelling highly motivated characters who have decided to take the plunge and make the life changing decision to move to the Sunshine State. We can’t wait to tell these amazing stories.”

Jo Street said, “Our commitment to tell British stories, made by British companies for British audiences continues. We loved this positive and sunny format when it came in via the Sunshine Property brief we ran earlier this year, and its brilliant to working with talented team at Waddell Media again."

Escape to Florida was submitted as part of the Channel’s property tender earlier this year which has led to a number of property formats being commissioned.