Emerald Paston

Emerald is a writer and script editor working across scripted comedy, entertainment and features. She is also a development executive, currently working in Paramount’s MTV Entertainment Studios UK.

She regularly writes for BBC One’s Have I Got News For You and is co-host of its accompanying podcast In The News This Week. She was the head writer on Comedy Central’s sketch series East Mode with Nigel Ng - a series with a majority East and South East Asian cast and crew, which was nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award.

Emerald is developing a dark comedy thriller as part of the Great Migrations development lab, delivered by MilkTea and supported by the BFI Creative Challenge Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.

She is also currently developing a comedy feature alongside co-writer Tom Levinge, which was selected part of Glasgow Film Festival’s Funny Features talent lab 2025.

In 2025, she was part of a Screen Scotland funded development room for an action feature, led by writer-director Raisah Ahmed.

Emerald has also written on Hypothetical for Dave and contributed to sketch series for Channel 4, BBC, Comedy Central and Hat Trick podcasts. She came second in ShortCom’s Sitcom Writing Competition 2024.

She was Development Producer on Comedy Central’s award-winning TV game show Out of Order, from conception through to series. She has also developed and produced multiple TV and digital shows for Comedy Central and MTV, including Rosie Tries To Help starring Rosie Jones, Comedy Central at the Edinburgh Fringe and award-nominated Comedians In Quarantine.