Scott Bryan

Scott Bryan (born 24 June 1989) is an English television critic, journalist, broadcaster and author. He co-hosts the BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds TV review podcast Must Watch and was previously TV editor at BuzzFeed UK. He has written about TV and the media for publications including The Guardian, Variety and The i, and appears regularly as a commentator on British TV and radio. In 2026, he published Out Now: A Queer Journey Through Modern Television.

Early life and education

Bryan grew up in Hampshire. His mother Carol and late father Glenn were air traffic controllers. Bryan's first TV appearance was in February 2003 in the CBBC series Xchange.

Bryan graduated with a degree in global development from the University of York in 2010. Whilst there, he wrote for the student newspaper York Vision, where he was TV editor. Bryan was also involved in student broadcasting through University Radio York, where he was station manager.

Bryan's career began with digital journalism and media roles, writing for The Times, HuffPost, The Radio Times, The Guardian and the creative careers charity IdeasTap, for which he hosted events on the stigma of dyslexia.

Career

Early career and BuzzFeed UK In 2014, Rife magazine described him as the TV editor of BuzzFeed UK, noting that he joined the digital media company in 2013 after working for The Times social media team and as a freelance writer. At BuzzFeed UK, Bryan wrote about TV, film, internet culture and entertainment news.

In 2014, Journalism.co.uk listed Bryan as a mentor in a Wannabe Hacks scheme for young journalists. It also referenced him as co-host with Dionne Grant of #What2Watch, a live weekly broadcast by BuzzFeed UK on Twitter. In 2018, the Broadcasting Press Guild elected Bryan, then TV editor of BuzzFeed UK, to its executive committee. He served as vice chair and chaired the jury selecting its Audio Awards winners in 2022.

TV criticism and journalism Bryan has written columns and criticism for the likes of The Guardian, Broadcast, The i and Variety. His work for the latter includes interviews with celebrities such as Kylie Minogue. Bryan has also contributed to The New Statesman, The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Radio Times and Rolling Stone magazine.

Broadcasting and podcasts In June 2023, he featured as the guest expert on Today in Focus, The Guardian podcast, discussing the ITV daytime programme This Morning after the departure of Phillip Schofield. Ofcom included Bryan in a February 2023 episode of its Life Online podcast about broadcast complaints, reality TV and freedom of expression. In May 2026, he appeared on Times Radio Breakfast to discuss viewer concerns about the treatment of contestants on the reality TV programme Married at First Sight UK. In 2024, Press Gazette cited Bryan's ranking of British broadcasters' general election night TV coverage. He has also contributed to BBC Radio Scotland's programme Afternoons and the CBBC's Newsround.

In 2024, Bryan hosted The Bachelor of Buckingham Palace, a podcast distributed by Wondery about the 2014 US reality series, I Wanna Marry "Harry". The Guardian journalist Miranda Sawyer called it "an enjoyable show that should be required listening for anyone who thinks reality show contestants are in on the joke". It was named one of the "best podcasts of 2024" by The Week, and The Financial Times described it as "a hoot", while taking the deception at the heart of the show "entirely seriously".

Bryan is co-host of Remember Me? with Maisie Adam & Scott Bryan, a Mike Drop Studios podcast with stand-up comedian Maisie Adam about tabloid and early internet fame. Guests of the show have included Nadia Almada (Big Brother), Honey G (X Factor), Kelli Young (Liberty X), James 'Hunter' Crossley (Gladiators) and comedian Dom Joly. In its "best podcasts of the week" feature, The Guardian described it as "a loving homage to pop culture's also-rans", praising its "humorous, sensitive" approach to former tabloid personalities. The Observer described it as a "warm", "timely, sympathetic show".

Event and industry roles

In November 2019, Bryan chaired a Royal Television Society event with filmmaker Fenton Bailey on how the BBC was adapting RuPaul's Drag Race for UK audiences. The Edinburgh Television Festival listed Bryan as host of a panel event on Channel 4's Gogglebox at its 2023 festival.

Bryan delivered red carpet commentary for BBC News at the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards. The National Student Television Association listed him as a judge for its "Broadcaster of the Year" prize, noting he hosted its 2022 awards.

In August 2024, Bryan hosted a discussion on Channel 4's First Dates at the LGBTQ+ TV and film festival, "Scene". In 2025, the Royal Television Society listed him as chair of a Q&A on BBC One's Celebrity Race Across the World. That same year, Bryan interviewed presenter Claudia Winkleman at a Q&A for BBC One's reality show The Traitors.

Book Blink Publishing is the publisher of Bryan's debut non-fiction book Out Now: A Queer Journey Through Modern Television. Combined with personal memoir, the book examines the evolution of queer representation on British TV from the era of section 28 to contemporary programmes such as Heartstopper, Queer as Folk, Coronation Street and It's a Sin. It incorporates interviews with TV figures including Jonathan Harvey and Russell T Davies and its foreword is written by Joe Lycett.

Personal life Bryan is gay and neurodivergent. In March 2025, he paused a live segment on BBC Breakfast to express his gratitude to staff at Salisbury District Hospital for care provided to his (now late) father, Glenn Bryan. During a House of Commons debate on LGBTQ+ History Month in February 2026, Labour MP Tom Hayes referenced Bryan's analysis of historical queer representation in UK media. Selected work

Podcasts

The Bachelor of Buckingham Palace — host Must Watch — co-host Remember Me? with Maisie Adam & Scott Bryan — co-host

Book

Out Now: A Queer Journey Through Modern Television (Blink Publishing, 2026)