Mayo brothers launch two new hit reality television shows
Simon and Warren Atkins. Picture: Dave Benett
It’s been a whirlwind year for Irish TV and executive producer Simon Atkins and his producer brother Warren Atkins. Fresh off the back of their Emmy win last month for The Traitors US, the siblings are now set to launch two new hit reality shows, ‘Its a Scouse Life’ on Channel 4 tomorrow November 12th at 10.25pm, repeated on E4 on Friday November 15th at 8pm. ‘Destination X’ will launch on BBC One and Peacock in 2025.
‘It’s a Scouse Life’ will follow the glamorous lives of a cast of young and ambitious Scousers who call Liverpool home as E4 orders a new reality show project from Optomen TV.
Filmed across the summer, ‘It’s a Scouse Life’ will celebrate the city’s unique culture and offer an up-close and personal look at the highs and lows of one interwoven group of metropolitan Merseysiders as they juggle relationships, friendships and business in one of Europe’s most buzzing and distinctive cities.
The pilot episode sees mates, dates and frenemies thrash out their feelings against a backdrop of glitzy parties, glamorous residences, and Liverpool’s iconic sights.
‘It’s a Scouse Life’ is a 1 x 60’ TX commission for E4 from Optomen Television. The programme is commissioned for Channel 4 by Genna Gibson, Commissioning Editor, Reality & Entertainment with Simon Atkins as the showrunner.
Showrunner Simon Atkins comments:
“I’m so excited to be working with Channel 4 and the city of Liverpool to bring this reality project to our screens showcasing modern Liverpool in all its glory with an inspiring cast of young and ambitious Scousers. We’re sure E4 viewers will enjoy the authentic access to some of the young lives and loves in and around L1.” ‘It’s a Scouse Life’ will premiere on E4 on Tuesday 12th November and again on Friday 15th November.
‘Destination X’ is an innovative show that will combine spectacular adventure travel and immersive gameplay with the ultimate guessing game Merging fantasy with reality this larger-than-life adventure competition series is being made by both BBC and NBC where viewers will follow contestants as they embark on the road trip of a lifetime but have no idea where they are. In order to win, they must figure out their mystery locations. Once they're on the blacked-out Destination X bus, the journey transforms into a real-life board game with challenges designed to offer clever clues as to their location, along with a few misdirects to keep them, and the viewers, always guessing.
At the end of each episode, contestants must guess where they are and the furthest from the actual location will leave the competition. The first player to reach the final destination, Destination X, will be crowned the winner. With high stakes and mind-blowing spectacular gameplay, the series will continuously keep viewers engaged and take them along for the ride.
Producer Warren Atkins says:
“This epic series turns the whole of Europe into a board game. It’s going to be one big adventure as we take the contestants on the journey of a lifetime where everything is not as it seems.”
Earlier this year Simon and Warren won an Emmy for their work on The Traitors US - Season 2 which won an Outstanding Reality Competition Program award. Last year they launched ‘Ready Set StartUP’, a business competition reality format that was developed, presented and executive produced by Simon with Warren as a producer across the series.
The duo has worked on some of the biggest shows in the UK and the US including Strictly Come Dancing, Married At First Sight, The Voice, First Dates, The Bachelor, Celebs Go Dating and I Kissed A Boy. They have worked with many high profile celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Kylie and Danni Minogue, WillIAM, Jennifer Hudson and Rita Ora to name a few.
The siblings hail from Castlebar, Co. Mayo in the West of Ireland and have both been working in the industry for 15 years but agree that this is only the beginning of big things to come from them.
The sky's the limit for the Irish brother duo have big plans to make more hit series and co-present a TV series of their own, they are currently in talks about with broadcasters both in the UK and the US.
