Paul Shuttleworth is the Creative Director and founder of Handle and Spout. He began working for the BBC in 1991.

Here as a researcher on the Archers, Paul wrote the "Who's Who Guide to the Archers" and reported on a variety of radio magazine shows including The Afternoon Shift and Anderson's Country for BBC Radio Four.

At the same time he was a runner on Sunday morning television on BBC Two, operating the phone-in game Maggot Moments. Watching hours of live TV every week gave Paul the bug for children's TV.

From here Paul went to work as a researcher in BBC Children's Programmes with credits including the Movie Game, Incredible Games, Look Sharp, Reactive, and in conjunction with Aardman Animation, the Morph Files. Paul also worked for the pioneering cable and satellite venture, the Children's Channel.

In 1996 Paul joined the BBC Children's Programmes Trainee Assistant Producer scheme learning to direct on programmes such as the children's art show, SMart. On completion of the course he was invited to become Associate Producer of the Mag which launched Channel 5's children's programming in Autumn 1996.

Paul returned as a Director to BBC Children's in 1997 where he worked on Live and Kicking, Linford's Record Breakers, It'll Never Work, Newsround, Sub Zero, Bodger and Badger and a season of Blue Peter.

In 2000 he was promoted to Producer where he was responsible for series including Space Detectives, Short Change and the Friday editions of Blue Peter. It was during his time on Blue Peter that Paul was invited to work on some of BBC Children's most ambitious projects including a two hour peak time live broadcast on BBC One for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, the Blue Peter Jubilee Party, the CBBC Summer Roadshows and the CBBC Prom in the Park. He also produced the launch show for the new children's channels.

Shortly afterwards, Paul was invited to look after CBeebies On-Air and as Editor he was responsible for the look and feel of the channel presentation. His work was applauded by Maire Messenger Davis in the DCMS review of the new children's channels in 2004.

During this time he also Executive Produced a number of programmes, from the CBBC Junior Great North Run to It's Behind You! a five part pantomine for CBeebies.

In 2005 Paul left the BBC for what he admits has been his biggest challenge, helping care for a family member with Alzheimer's and his two young children. "Despite working in children's TV all my life nothing quite prepares you for the real thing!"

This time allowed Paul to create his own work and over the past three years, through Handle and Spout, he has devised series for BBC, ITV and Turner Networks.

As well as continuing to Executive Produce for Handle and Spout, since leaving the BBC Paul has worked as an Interactive Consultant to set up BBC One's primetime the One Show, advised on the animation for CBeebies Poetry Pie, created video for BBC change programmes and provided consultancy for Fun Radio, the children's radio station.

Paul has a particular passion for pre-school programming and has recently published four children's books based on his popular CBeebies series, Harry and Toto, which he regularly takes into schools and reads to groups of children.