An interview with Ita has been published in a new book in Germany “Intimitätskoordination: Intimität im Film und auf der Bühne inszenieren” (Intimacy coordination: Staging intimacy in film and on stage). A huge thank you to author Saskia Oidtmann for inviting Ita to contribute to the publication and for the in-depth conversation. Congratulations on your incredible agreement.
This week, Ita joined Em Clarkson and Alex Light, on the Should I Delete That? podcast, discussing her experience across the TV & Film industry.
Em Clarkson shared her experience of the interview here:
“SEX ON SCREEN! Oh what a guest and oh what we learned!!! Please welcome intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien to the podcast! You’ve never seen a CV like this before, Ita has worked on EVERY thing you can think of (SERIOUSLY!! Sex Education, I May Destroy You, Normal People…), bringing some of the most powerful and memorable on screen sex scenes to life and this conversation was fascinating. From a practical standpoint of course, to the pleasantries and prompts required to actually make the magic happen (can’t just be us who would crumble into a heap at the awkwardness) to the politics of it all. This is a huge and perhaps underestimated part of her work.
The last decade has thrown into sharp focus the somewhat insidious nature of this industry, one teeming with power imbalance and misogyny, and that has made Ita’s work both more important than ever, and in many ways, more controversial. She has been an advocate and a voice for not just the actors she works with, although her presence sounds very welcome to so many of them, but those consuming the content too, ensuring that what we watch is honest, sensitive, safe and true and her influence has been colossal.
Ita has written a book, about her career, her understanding of intimacy and the ways in which we can bring it into our lives and we loved talking to her about it. She has been such a huge part in creating some of the most memorable intimate scenes of the last decade and it was so incredible to talk to her about them.” Please listen to Should I Delete That? wherever you get your podcasts. less”
Ita is delighted to celebrate the release of The Roses on Hulu and Disney+ this week, having supported this production as Intimacy Coordinator. Ita reflects on working on the production below…
“It was a privilege to help hold the space for these performances, and I can’t wait for you all to experience it. Do add The Roses to your watchlist this weekend!”
Liv Little mentions Ita in The Observer this week, in a piece about intimacy on screen. Ita selected her favourite quote from the article below, in regards to why this work matters….
“Brilliant, believable sex on screen isn’t about shock factor or how much skin you see – it’s about intention. …When intimacy is handled with respect and curiosity, it can become one of the most powerful tools in cinema.”
Ita joined The Observer’s We Have Notes podcast this week, for a rich conversation on the ethics and craft of intimacy on screen.
Ita reflects below on the experience:
“Hearing Liv LIttle describe me as “the gold standard when it comes to Intimacy Coordinators” was deeply affirming, and I’m grateful to Liv and Miranda Sawyer for holding such a thoughtful space for the work”
Ita is the latest guest to appear on Montreal International Film Festival’s Filmmakers Change Makers podcast, exploring industry standards for safe, fair, and respectful creative working environments.
Available to listen now, Ita joined Kirsty Wark, and the team at Radio 4’s Front Row, to speak about the heart of the work – supporting artists, honouring story, and creating conditions that allow everyone on set to thrive. Also joining the conversation was Claire Mundell, who shared the valuable perspective of Producers.
Ita shares her thanks to the cast and crew below:
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work on The Makropulos Case as both Intimacy Director & Movement Director, supported by such a generous, committed cast and creative team at The Royal Opera House.
Collaborating with Katie Mitchell on her final production as Director has been a truly meaningful and inspiring experience. It’s a piece of work I’m deeply proud to have contributed to.”
“I remember clearly the moment I first watched the series Normal People. What immediately stood out were the emphasized sex scenes between the two main characters, which felt so real, striking, and convincing that I even felt a certain sense of shame watching them on screen. At the time, I had no idea that alongside the remarkable performances of its two stars, the magic in those scenes was shaped by Ita O’Brien. And that is far from the only project she touched.” – Vogue Adria
Click below to read more of Ita’s recent interview with Vogue Adria.
Ita is grateful to contribute to this ongoing conversation about the value of ethical, consensual, and well-supported intimate content on set, and sends gratitude to everyone recognising the importance of this work as our industry continues to evolve.
Event details:
Ita O’Brien is one of the most sought-after intimacy coordinators for stage, film and television with credits including ‘Sex Education’, ‘I May Destroy You’ and ‘Normal People’. In the course of her work, she created trail-blazing intimacy on-set guidelines that are now used around the world.
In her first book – appropriately called “Intimacy: A Field Guide to Finding Connection and Feeling Your Deep Desires” – Ita, who worked as a dancer, actor and movement teacher for many years, draws on her 40-year career to provide sage and sensitive advice on transforming intimacy in our off-screen lives.
We’re delighted to welcome Ita to Stroud Book Festival to discuss how she seeks to recast how we think of intimacy in a broad sense: starting by forging deeper and healthier connections with our own bodies, before creating safe spaces where we can navigate intimacy, not only in our closest relationships, but also more widely in society.
Chaired by Julia Brookes
Venue: Sub Rooms
Time: 1-2pm
Tickets: £12
Ticket link in socials bio
Saturday 25th October
3pm The Forum – Auditorium
Event details:
A fascinating look behind the scenes.
Event information:
Pioneering Intimacy Coordinator Ita O’Brien has managed the portrayal of love and sex scenes in groundbreaking television and stage for more than 40 years, including on Sex Education, Dangerous Liasons, It’s A Sin, Conversations with Friends and many others.
She’s set the gold standard with her on-set intimacy guidelines, and changed the portrayal of sex in popular-culture; increasing authenticity and reducing stereotypes. Now she’ll share behind the scenes stories, and use lessons from her work to explore how we can all improve intimacy and connection in our own lives.
Ita will explain how she helps actors create authentic sex scenes, and share how we can use these techniques to create greater connection in our own relationships, and improve society as a whole.
This event is followed by book sales and signing with Waterstones.
Age Guidance: 16+
Tickets: £10
Ticket link in socials bio
Let’s Talk About Sex (on Screen) – A panel discussion about portrayals of sex and sexuality in contemporary film and television, and what these representations can tell us about sexual politics and gender cultures today.
Sunday 19 October 2025 15:00
BFI Southbank, BFI Reuben Library
Reserve tickets via link in socials bio
From steamy scenes to awkward encounters, sex on screen has never been more varied or more revealing. From raw, honest moments to darkly humorous takes, this lively panel will discuss how contemporary film and television are rethinking desire, gender and power dynamics in ways that are bold, funny, messy and meaningful. With insights from filmmakers and cultural thinkers, we’ll explore everything from the rise of the intimacy coordinator to queer love stories, hook-up culture and beyond, and we’ll ask the question: What do current trends say about shifting norms around bodies, relationships and sexual pleasure?
Speakers/panellists
Billy Holzberg, co-author Bad Sex: Sexuality, Gender and Affect in Contemporary TV
Ita O’Brien, leading intimacy coordinator, creator of the Intimacy On Set Guidelines and author of Intimacy
Xuanlin Tham, author Revolutionary Desires: The Political Power of the Sex Scene
Hosted by Black Venus, founder of Sex and Rage, a sex worker and activist organisation resisting stigma and shame through sex education.
Absolutely thrilled to have been accepted to the Fearless Leadership programme at Women in Film and Television UK – thank you so much for bringing me into the team.
And what a team it is… This year’s cohort comprises 12 senior leaders from a variety of industry sectors, including: Emma Hardie – Executive Commercial and Brand Director, Aardman Animation Caroline O’Neill – Assistant Commissioner, BBC Julie Clark – Director of Production, ITV Studios Drama Liv Moss – Director of Digital Content, Banijay UK SIAN PRICE – Creative Director, Yeti Television Christina Angeloudes – Commercial Director, Big Talk Arabella Page Croft – CEO and Founder, Black Camel Tolu Stedford – Chief Executive Officer, Story Compound Rachel Arnold – Creative Executive, Sony Pictures Unscripted Kit Morey – (VP) Commissioning Editor Non-Scripted UK Originals, Channel5/Paramount+ Kate Davis AMPS – Head of Sound, Azimuth
Looking forward to all the collaboration, learning and inspiration that I’m certain is coming our way!
– Ita O’Brien
Olivia Colman very kindly spoke about Ita this week, which was also picked up by USA Today, in reflecting positively on their previous work together on The Roses and Empire of Light. In particular, praising the advice Ita had given her during an intimate scene, to “imagine the sun is hitting your face”.
Ita responded on her socials, saying…”I really value Olivia’s honesty here (and thank you for the lovely shout-out in @usatoday) This is the very heart of Intimacy Coordination: supporting individuals to articulate their personal boundaries, and ensuring they are respected in the workplace. My role is never to push someone into intimacy, but to create a professional process where choice and consent are centred, so that actors can say yes with clarity, or no with equal confidence. In doing so, we not only safeguard the individual, but we also enable the work to be braver, more truthful, and created with integrity.”
Ita recently spoke with The Sunday Times about the Intimacy On Set Guidelines, and how our art should reflect humanity back on itself.
Delighted to be featured at the Festival of ENCOUNTERS | Ideas, art and conversations in Brixton spaces, from @vangoghlondon
WHEN: 16th September 2025
WHERE: GoHubStudio, 222 Brixton Rd SW9 6AH
TIME: 6:30pm
BOOK: Tickets are free but need to be booked via Van Gogh House’s website
A conversation between movement director and intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien and artist Ajamu X on intimacy from their individual perspectives and how we navigate or rethink the topic in our personal lives as well as more widely in society.
Ita recently shared her excitement about working with Ajamu X on Instagram: “I am really looking forward to our upcoming in-conversation event. His fearless work centring Black queer bodies, pleasure, and desire, promises a dialogue full of depth and provocation. I left our initial chat energised and know there is much more to uncover together. This is going to be a conversation worth joining.”
Between Saturday 13 September and Sunday 5 October, our inaugural Festival of ENCOUNTERS, a free-to-attend, large-scale series of events, featuring up to 40 talks and other kinds of encounters, by artists, writers, activists, musicians and thinkers, will take place in venues across the northern end of Brixton.
Alongside Van Gogh House, many other exciting locations including galleries, parks and community centres are hosting events. The Festival is inspired by serendipitous encounters with interesting people in unexpected places, bringing together exciting voices, thoughts and ideas to and from Brixton.
Full episode featuring itaobrien_ is available on bbcsounds now
Thanks to everyone that’s watched the interview clips so far – they’re up to 500k on TikTok & 250k on Instagram already! Gratitude goes to @anoushka_md for a genuinely lovely experience.