all about Tom...

Tom was born in Cheltenham on what was most definitely a bright and sunny morning on 11th December 1989. That gives him a fresh age of 22.

It all started at the tender age of 13 when he launched a book company called OBS Books (later re-named to epi-culture). The business specialised in selling signed or first edition children's books online.

This venture ignited Tom's passion for being an entrepreneur and taught him the skills that he would later use in running his own production company. By the age of 17 the book company had performed so well Tom had been named The Mail on Sunday's Young Entrepreneur of the Year and he had earnt enough money to buy his own car. Wow!

Tom went on to compete in the ITV business show Tycoon. Although the experience was short, it was sweet! He learnt a lot from the experience and particularly his desire to do something in the television industry. Everything about the busy environment, the flamboyant people in the media, and the cameras drew Tom's interest.

So the following year Tom establised Teen Star Limited - his first incorporated venture.

Teen Star is Tom's video production company that handles all of the formats he creates and produces for his broadcaster clients. He won his first commission at Channel 4 when he was 18 years old with the format 'Big Brother on the Streets'. The show was BB's first online spin-off. Two months after creating this he also pitched what would be his most successful franchise yet - Meet the Freshers.

He created MTF for Bebo in the autumn of 2008. The format then is a lot different than it is today. Each episode was a five minute montage of clips seeing Tom ask his rudest questions on university campus. The show was a runaway hit for the social network site and it was at this point Tom established a name for himself on the web.

The success of the first ever series of Freshers also grabbed the attention of Tom's current employer, MTV. In 2009 Tom started to work for the music giant doing presenting stints on mtv.co.uk. It wasn't until late 2010 when Bebo lost its mojo that MTV wanted to be the new home for the newly branded 'The Freshers'. And Tom couldn't have been happier.

The Freshers continues to be a major web hit at its new home on mtv.co.uk and Tom is now planning how to take the series to the next level. His goal is to take it to television in 2012 and also to develop it into a brand that is synonymous with student lifestyle.

"Now in my own words, 2012 is definitely the year to watch".