Entertainment

Jeremy Corbyn, Michaela Coel and Love Island on Edinburgh TV Festival bill

The industry event kicks off on Wednesday.
The industry event kicks off on Wednesday. The industry event kicks off on Wednesday.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and actress Michaela Coel will offer different opinions on the media at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

The industry get-together will also see the stars of reality TV hit Love Island deliver a masterclass examining the programme’s breakout success.

The annual event, which kicks off on Wednesday, will see Bafta-winner Coel deliver the James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture, the keynote speech of the event, where she will address the future of the television industry.

Coel is also a screenwriter, poet and playwright, and has appeared in Channel 4 drama Top Boy, wrote and starred in E4 sitcom Chewing Gum and had leading roles at the National Theatre.

The James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture has formed the centrepiece of the festival since 1976, and is named after the Scottish-born producer, director and writer.

Jeremy Corbyn visit to Scotland
Jeremy Corbyn visit to Scotland Jeremy Corbyn will deliver the Alternative MacTaggart lecture (Lesley Martin/PA)

Mr Corbyn will share his thoughts in the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture on Thursday, which is described as “a unique platform given to a media visionary to help shape debate in the global television industry from an alternative perspective”.

The Leader of the Opposition will also be interviewed by actor and writer Maxine Peake and will face questions from an audience.

Coel follows in the footsteps of Rupert Murdoch, Armando Iannucci and Jon Snow in giving the main address, while Ant and Dec, Charlie Brooker and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have all previously delivered the Alternative MacTaggart lecture.

Love Island winners Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham, as well as last year’s villa favourites Kem Cetinay and Chris Hughes and a number of ITV bosses, will appear in a panel exploring the ITV2 programme’s popularity with younger viewers, its use of social media and what its success means for the industry.

Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer
Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer Jack Fincham (left) and Dani Dyer (right) will appear the festival (Ian West/PA)

Joanna Lumley will take to the stage to talk about her long career, complete with “hilarious and interesting anecdotes”, with producer Clive Tulloh, who has worked alongside her on numerous projects over the years.

There will be a screening of ITV’s Vanity Fair, Gwyneth Hughes’s adaptation of Thackeray’s literary classic, along with a Q&A with members of the cast, and Michael Palin will give a special preview of his forthcoming Channel 5 documentary on North Korea, which he will also discuss.

Comedian Frank Skinner will host the Edinburgh TV Awards, where gongs will be handed out in categories including channel of the year, production company of the year and TV moment of the year.

The Edinburgh TV Festival runs until Friday August 24.