‘Dating Naked UK’ Producer Opens In Scotland

The Nest

EXCLUSIVE: The production outfit behind Paramount+’s upcoming reality series Dating Naked UK is opening a hub in Scotland.

Nest Productions‘ Scottish office will be headed up by co-founder and reality vet Derek Drennan, who is returning to his native Glasgow.

The hub will manage Nest’s partnerships and co-productions with Scottish production companies, seek to attract UK-wide and international production companies to film in Scotland with local support and tap into local funding. Nest’s head office is in London, with hubs in the Northwest, Northeast and South of England.

The company was launched by former TOWIE production boss Drennan and producer Stew Batt (Made in Chelsea) in 2019. Its first original commission is Paramount+ reality series Dating Naked UK hosted by Rylan Clark, which will launch later this year and follows singletons looking for love in a resort whilst completely naked. Other than making shows, Nest is built on a co-production model that supports small to mid-sized indies with infrastructure, talent, development and production expertise.

Drennan said: “Setting up in my hometown of Glasgow is a momentous step for us and fills us with so much pride. We are joining a dynamic ecosystem where production is thriving, and we are committed to supporting local talent and the sector. Scotland’s creative industry is brilliant and collaborative, and we are looking forward to making and developing content that resonates both locally and globally.”

The number of shows made outside of London has been a hot-button topic in the UK TV industry for years. At the Creative Cities Convention, Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon bowed to pressure from producers and said the network will slowly start making more programs outside of England.