News & Press

It was a total pleasure to visit Queens Park Books to sign copies of “Intimacy”. Such a lovely experience to meet the readers and hear of their own experiences.

This week, Ita took the Intimacy book draft to BBC Radio 5 Live, to talk with Naga Munchetty about the #metoomovement, how the process of Intimacy Coordination can support specific scenarios & the key themes in her new book.

“INTIMACY in midlife – This week, we are delighted to welcome @itaobrien_ to the podcast, a pioneering desire expert and the world’s first TV and film intimacy coordinator for shows such as Normal People, It’s a Sin and Sex Education 📺

Ita joins us to talk about how she has redefined on-screen sex scenes, as well as sharing helpful tools and advice from her new book on how we can feel more sensuous in our own bodies and experience desire, connection and intimacy through our midlife years AND beyond 🙌

Ita also has some excellent recommendations for us, including books and companies who specialise in adult toys and lubrication”

Listen to the Podcast

📘 Did you catch @itaobrien_ chatting about “Intimacy” on the @waterstones podcast?
🔗 Grab a tea & a blanket and make some time to reflect with Ita on connecting with yourself

📸@nicholasdawkesphotography

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Ita’s new Interview with @goodhousekeepinguk is out now

Read the Article

Thrilled to be in @theipaper Top Reads list this month

Buy Intimacy Book

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to support at the London book launch for “Intimacy”. It was wonderful to hear all your incredible stories at the signing. Thanks must go to the whole team supporting behind the scenes: @eburybooks, IOS Publicist Anna Penney, IOS PA Charlotte Pacelli, Wardrobe by TOAST, the Southbank Centre staff & Ita’s amazing family & friends

Ita O’Brien reveals why respecting the sex scene benefits not just actors, but all of us. Read the interview by Eva Wiseman for The Observer.

Read the Interview

Read the deeply honest conversation between G Ode founder Gillian Anderson and pioneering intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien. For G Ode Issue 01 – Freedom of Fantasy founded by Gillian Anderson. Two women on opposite sides of the camera are quietly, radically changing the way stories about sex, power and consent are told – and why every one of us stands to benefit.

Photo (C) to thisisgode.com

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I’m absolutely thrilled to be appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year to talk about my new book, Intimacy: A Field Guide to Finding Connection and Feeling Your Deep Desires.

This event—number 653—will take place on 15 August 2025 from 18:45 to 19:45 at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

In Intimacy, I share the practices I’ve developed as an intimacy coordinator on productions like Sex Education and I May Destroy You, offering tools to help everyone—whether in relationships, single, or somewhere in between—reconnect with their body, their boundaries, and their desires.

I can’t wait to delve into this conversation in a city that holds such a rich cultural legacy, and to meet readers who are curious about creating safer, more connected relationships in every part of life. Hope to see you there!

Event Details

Event Number – 653
Date: 15 August 2025
Time: 18:45 – 19:45pm
Venue: Edinburgh Futures Institute

Find out more and book tickets at the Edinburgh Book Festival’s website and their Instagram.

I’m thrilled to share that I will be launching my new book, Intimacy: A Field Guide to Finding Connection and Feeling Your Deep Desires, at the Southbank Centre on Sunday, 8th June at 2pm.

I will be in conversation with journalist and broadcaster Pandora Sykes, known for her insightful cultural commentary. This event promises an engaging discussion on the evolving landscape of intimacy, both on-screen and in our personal lives. It’s a unique opportunity to hear from two leading voices on how we connect with ourselves and others.

Radio appearances: Monday 2nd June 2025

10–11am: BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour with Naula McGovern – programme info
11.30am–12pm: BBC Radio 5 Live with Naga Muchetty – programme info

Tune in to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on Monday 2nd June, from 10–11am, to hear Ita O’Brien, renowned intimacy coordinator and founder of Intimacy On Set, in conversation with Naula McGovern. Listen live on BBC Radio 4 or catch up later via BBC Sounds.

Then head to BBC Radio 5 Live from 11:30am to 12:00pm, as Ita O’Brien joins presenter Naga Munchetty for an insightful conversation. They’ll delve into O’Brien’s pioneering work in creating safer, more respectful environments for actors in film, television, and theatre, and discuss the broader impact of intimacy coordination on storytelling and performance. Don’t miss this engaging discussion on the evolving landscape of on-screen intimacy. You can listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live or catch up later via BBC Sounds.

I was absolutely delighted to take part in this year’s Hay Festival, a special place for me, having attended for the past 20 years. On Friday 30 May, I had the pleasure of joining journalist Lucy Knight on the Wye Stage for a rich and thought-provoking conversation about intimacy on screen and its wider impact on our real-life relationships. Drawing from my experiences working on productions such as Sex Education and I May Destroy You, we explored how carefully crafted intimate scenes can promote healthier, more authentic connections—with ourselves and with others. It was an honour to contribute to such an important discussion at a festival that continues to inspire and challenge in equal measure.

In a recent feature for The Sunday Times Magazine, journalist Matt Rudd explores the transformative potential of Ita O’Brien’s intimacy practices beyond the screen. Renowned for her work on productions like Sex Education and Normal People, O’Brien has pioneered methods to ensure actors perform intimate scenes with authenticity and respect. Now, she’s extending these principles to everyday relationships through her new book, Intimacy: A Field Guide to Finding Connection and Feeling Your Deep Desires.

Rudd recounts his personal experience applying O’Brien’s exercises, such as eye-gazing and heart-to-heart hugs, with his wife of 20 years. These practices, though initially awkward, aim to rebuild emotional and physical connections that may have faded over time. O’Brien emphasizes that true intimacy requires presence, consent, and vulnerability, challenging societal norms that often prioritize spontaneity over communication.

The article highlights how O’Brien’s approach encourages couples to engage in small, consistent acts of connection, fostering deeper and more sustainable intimacy. By bringing her on-set expertise into the realm of personal relationships, O’Brien offers a roadmap for couples seeking to rekindle their connection.

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The role of the intimacy coordinator has become more important in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations and the broader #MeToo movement. Ita O’Brien works on the set of a short film, Keep Breathing, breaking down the choreography of a sex scene to ensure the wellbeing of the actors and create a clear language and process

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This May, Ita O’Brien attended the Deadline Disruptors x Cocktails on the Croisette event during the Cannes Film Festival. This industry gathering, held at The Members Club (La Plage 45), brought together influential figures from the film industry to celebrate innovation and storytelling. Notable attendees included director Robert Connolly and actor Mark Duplass. The event provided a platform for industry leaders to discuss the evolving landscape of cinema and the importance of creating respectful environments on set. Cannes also brought Ita a wonderful opportunity to meet up with Girls on Film to discuss linking together again for some exciting future collaboration.

We’re thrilled to announce that Ita O’Brien—renowned intimacy coordinator and founder of Intimacy On Set—will soon be joining Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin on Postcards from Midlife. In this upcoming episode, Ita shares her pioneering work in creating safer, more respectful environments for actors in film, television, and theatre. With her expertise featured in productions like Sex Education and Normal People, Ita offers invaluable insights into the importance of intimacy coordination in the entertainment industry. Tune in to hear her discuss the evolution of her career and the impact of her work on modern storytelling.

The episode will be available soon on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Visit the Postcards from Midlife website for the release date.

You can now pre-order Ita’s book – Intimacy: A field guide to finding connection and feeling your deep desires – with foreword from Gillian Anderson.

You can also join Ita in an upcoming event at the Southbank on June 8th 2025 to discuss the secrets of the trade in conversation with Pandora Sykes.

“A vital contribution to our understanding of intimacy both on screen and in life.”

Gillian Anderson | An Evening Standard ‘Book to Watch’ for 2025

From the initial spark of attraction when your eyes first meet, to spontaneously dancing together in the kitchen and falling asleep side by side – how do we create those intimate moments of connection?

As a pioneering Intimacy Coordinator, Ita O’Brien has choreographed some of the most groundbreaking, passionate and vulnerable intimate scenes onscreen. From Normal People to I May Destroy You, and in so many more productions, she has also made these scenes safer, more joyful and more empowering to perform in. No one knows intimacy, the power of true connection, better than her.

So, what can her work teach us about our own relationships, both with ourselves and others? How can we use her tools to discover what it is that we truly want in our intimate lives? And how can all of this create environments in which intimacy can take seed, grow and even thrive?

Combining embodied wisdom, behind-the-scenes stories and exercises for connection, Intimacy offers us a field guide to discovering our desires, communicating our needs, and cultivating truly intimate relationships at every stage of our lives.