Mo Jannah

Few careers follow a straight path, and Mo Jannah’s journey is a powerful example of how passion, purpose and creativity can open unexpected doors.

Growing up as a working-class Black man in South Wales, Mo's career began far from television studios and production sets. Instead, he worked in prisons across Wales, supporting offenders and helping young people steer away from criminal pathways. Through empathy, communication and a determination to make a difference, he developed innovative interventions that were later adopted by national serious crime teams. This experience taught him the power of listening to people, understanding their stories and helping them realise their potential.

What Mo didn't know at the time was that these same skills would become the foundation of a successful career in media.

His breakthrough came in 2017 through the It's My Shout talent scheme, where his observational documentary Mo's World was broadcast on BBC Two. The opportunity sparked a new chapter, allowing him to combine his natural curiosity, creativity and storytelling ability to connect with audiences in a completely different way.

Since then, Mo has built a diverse career as a presenter, producer and creative entrepreneur. His work spans factual and daytime television, where he has become known for bringing fresh ideas, authentic voices and underrepresented perspectives to the screen. Whether developing programme concepts, presenting stories that inform and inspire, or building partnerships across sectors, Mo has established a reputation as someone who turns ideas into reality.

Today, he is one of the mediation experts and on-screen contributors featured in Wild Reckoning, a major BBC series fronted by Bear Grylls. His involvement reflects a career that seamlessly blends communication, wellbeing, social impact and storytelling.

Driven by a passion for creating meaningful content, Mo founded Black Gold Productions in 2020. Based in Cardiff, the company exists to tell powerful stories that might otherwise go unheard. Through an agile and collaborative approach, Mo works with a diverse network of creatives to deliver projects ranging from broadcast documentaries to commercial productions, always with a focus on authenticity, innovation and impact.

Looking back, Mo's journey demonstrates that there is no single route into entrepreneurship or the creative industries. The skills he developed helping others, solving problems and building relationships became the very qualities that enabled him to succeed in a completely different field.

For young people thinking about their future, his story is proof that your background does not define your destination. Sometimes the experiences that seem least connected to your ambitions become the very things that set you apart.