TV studio that likes looking good naked

For most of us, revealing our lumps, bumps and wrinkles to the nation is the stuff that nightmares are made of.

However, at Maverick Television in Birmingham, they have people queuing up to bare all in their shows.

The studio makes programmes such as Ten Years Younger and How to Look Good Naked with stylist Gok Wan.

Executive producer Andrew Anderson says they are never short of people wanting to take part in their shows.

"We advertise on-line as well as in magazines and newspapers for people to appear in the shows, and the response is always amazing," he says.

"With programmes like How to Look Good Naked and Ten Years Younger, we get such a huge response we have to whittle it down to just a handful.

"Most people don't want to air their dirty linen in public, but they can get frustrated with their doctor and they see people getting results on the television in shows like Embarrassing Bodies."

The studio, on Fazeley Road in the city, was formed in 1993 and its programme Embarrassing Bodies has won the Royal Television Society and British Interactive Media Association Awards, as well as the 2009 BAFTA for interactivity.

"Embarrassing Bodies encourages people to do a lot of self-checks such as for breast and testicular cancer, so it provides information as well as entertainment," says Andrew.

"With Gok Wan's show and Ten Years Younger, people see the transformations and really want to be involved in that and have the life-changing experience.

"It is about boosting your confidence at every step and Gok is good at showing people what to wear, which leads to a photo of them naked. And then comes the scary part which is the catwalk - and we have never had any woman who refuses to do it."

Recent documentaries made by Maverick have included Ghetto Britain and Gail Porter Laid Bare.

The programme they are working on at the moment is an animal version of Embarrassing Bodies called Animal Madhouse.

Series producer Debb Swindells says the show is due to hit our screens in January next year.

She says: "With Embarrassing Bodies being such a success, using animals with unusual health problems seemed the natural direction to take. At the moment we are casting for vets and we want to give it a look that is new and fresh.

"We are not just talking about pets - one day it could be a guinea-pig, the next a giraffe."

Debb says they are planning on setting up the vet's clinic in Birmingham where animals from across the country will be diagnosed and treated.

"When you are doing a programme like this you have a wish-list and you want to find animals with more unusual problems," says Debb.

"So far we have a horse with narcolepsy, where he can't stop falling asleep, a hedgehog with no spikes and a goldfish with bad wind.

"We have a fairly large team working on it at the moment which includes production directors, researchers and location assistants."

Current programmes made by Maverick include Children's Hospital for ITV1, The Buying Game for BBC2, a third series of Bizarre ER and a four-part special of Embarrassing Kids Bodies.

Andrew says he joined Maverick three years ago because he was attracted by the programmes they produced.

"The shows that come out of Birmingham are innovative and high-profile," he says. "I think a lot of people are surprised when they hear that these Bafta Award-winning programmes come from the Birmingham area, as everyone imagines they must originate from London.

"We get to work with stars such as Gok Wan, who is a big personality and very passionate about the show. He is as caring off the camera as he is on and I think that comes across."

Maverick, who also have offices in London, now have in-house editing facilities in Birmingham. He says: "We have several editing suites and a voice-over recording booth.

"This year we have launched a groundbreaking digital project with the NHS. It will provide online health resources and information which is accessible to NHS staff and the public in the West Midlands."

So, how does Maverick come up with all its programmes?

"We have a development team who are always looking for new ideas and then we sell the series around the world," says Andrew.

"We encourage people to write in with their ideas and if we use them we involve them in the production. So, if there is anyone out there who can come up with the next How to Look Good Naked or Embarrassing Bodies — we want to hear from them."