Nicky Cox MBE is one of the world’s leading voices in children’s media and journalism. As CEO of Fresh Start Media, she co-created FYI, the BAFTA-winning children’s news show, for Sky Kids and Sky News.
Nicky Cox MBE is one of the world’s leading voices in children’s media and journalism. As CEO of Fresh Start Media, she co-created FYI, the BAFTA-winning children’s news show, for Sky Kids and Sky News.
She is now the Founder and CEO of Children United, a global movement uniting trusted organisations to stand up for every child’s right to access reliable, age-appropriate news and information.
At the heart of the movement is TVCU – the world’s first global news and factual channel made exclusively for children and teenagers. Built on Article 17 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, TVCU is powered by collaboration between world-renowned partners including Sky, WWF, UNICEF and The Science Museum, among others.
Nicky was also the Founding Editor of First News – the UK’s only national newspaper for children.
Nicky was awarded an MBE in 2009 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for services to children. She is a WWF Ambassador, UNICEF Advisor, Patron of the British Citizen Youth Awards, and a member of the Young BAFTA Advisory Group. In previous lives, Nicky was editorial director of the children and family division of BBC Worldwide, and a Sunday Times journalist.
A passionate advocate for empowering the next generation through truth, curiosity, and compassion, Nicky is also the proud mum of four children.
Marshall is an Emmy and 5 x BAFTA-winning TV producer and director with more than 20 years of network TV experience. He recently completed the landmark environmental documentary Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge for ITV1/ITV X, featuring HM King Charles.
Marshall is an Emmy and 5 x BAFTA-winning TV producer and director with more than 20 years of network TV experience. He recently completed the landmark environmental documentary Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge for ITV1/ITV X, featuring HM King Charles.
With particular expertise in adventure, science, current affairs, children’s and environmental issues, Marshall has made films in the world’s most extreme environments, from war zones to the jungle, desert and Arctic.
He has series produced some of the BBC’s flagship shows such as Tomorrow’s World and Newsround, and he created and ran the acclaimed BBC Serious adventure series, seen in 150 countries over eight seasons.
Marshall filmed undercover on several high profile BBC current affairs documentaries, including unprecedented access to North Korea for BBC Panorama. He was showrunner on the Discovery hit show Gold Rush, and developed, series produced and directed a new 12 part ITV series Bear Grylls Survival School.
He was written a wide range of factual books. Extreme Survival: An adventurer’s Guide to the World’s Most Dangerous Places was shortlisted for a Royal Society Science Books Prize.
Sarah has worked more than 30 years in television production management, with a career rooted in children’s content. She was a long-standing Production Manager at BBC Children’s working across factual and entertainment shows
Sarah has worked more than 30 years in television production management, with a career rooted in children’s content. She was a long-standing Production Manager at BBC Children’s working across factual and entertainment shows including Newsround, the Serious adventure series, and many gloriously chaotic kids’ game shows.
She moved on to Head of Production roles at small indies, where she proudly oversaw several successful scripted and entertainment children’s series, including the early years of Horrible Histories, and large-scale children comedy productions for companies such as Paramount. Alongside this children’s work, Sarah has also managed many “grown-up” productions, from panel shows and documentaries for Sky to topical puppet series and scripted comedies for ITV. She is loving life at Fresh Start Media and is genuinely excited about the future of Children United.
Laura Hartwell is a UK-based Production Manager specialising in factual and children’s television. She has worked on BAFTA-winning productions and delivered projects for Sky, ITV, Channel 4, BBC, and Discovery+
Laura Hartwell is a UK-based Production Manager specialising in factual and children’s television. She has worked on BAFTA-winning productions and delivered projects for Sky, ITV, Channel 4, BBC, and Discovery+, with extensive experience managing complex international shoots and high-risk, fast-turnaround productions, as well as cultural institutions such as the Science Museum.
Her credits include the BAFTA-winning programme FYI Investigates: Disability & Me which received the Children’s Non-Scripted BAFTA TV Award in 2025. Recent work includes multiple series of Sky Kids Investigates and Children United Daily, alongside Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge for ITV. Laura has also worked on internationally recognised feature documentaries, including Underland, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2025, and Last Exit: Space for Discovery+, working alongside Rudolph and Werner Herzog.
Simona joined Fresh Start Media in 2019, and works primarily on our daily news show, Children United Today, a TVCU and Sky News collaboration, presented by children for children.
Simona joined Fresh Start Media in 2019, and works primarily on our daily news show, Children United Today, a TVCU and Sky News collaboration, presented by children for children.
Prior to joining Fresh Start Media, Simona worked as a freelance Television Producer. She brings a wealth of popular TV experience to her role. Beginning her television career in Entertainment, she worked on prime-time shows such as BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing and ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, before moving into Factual (Channel 4’s award winning The Secret Life of 4 & 5 year-olds), and live studio, current affairs and consumer programmes (BBC One’s Watchdog’s Rogue Traders and The One Show.
Joe joined Fresh Start Media in 2024, and with the launch of Children United produces a plethora of content for TVCU including our daily news show Children United Today as well as managing and publishing on our social media accounts.
Joe joined Fresh Start Media in 2024, and with the launch of Children United produces a plethora of content for TVCU including our daily news show Children United Today as well as managing and publishing on our social media accounts.
Prior to joining Fresh Start Media, Joe studied at Falmouth University where he gained a (BA) Hons degree in Film.
Daisy is Head of Content Partnerships at Fresh Start Media. She works predominantly on our groundbreaking new global news channel for kids, TVCU.
Daisy is Head of Content Partnerships at Fresh Start Media. She works predominantly on our groundbreaking new global news channel for kids, TVCU.
Daisy has previously been a Producer in both branded content with names like Google, Tiktok and UEFA and Head of Planning for BAFTA-winning FYI.
Children are 30% of the world’s people but 100% of the future. And, yet, this generation is growing up in an online world overflowing with algorithms, misinformation, deepfakes and polarising narratives that shape how they see themselves – and each other.