Interview with Sara Davies on The Big Idea Works which starts today February 3

Can you tell me about how you started out and how your dad helped you create a prototype of your envelope idea?

When I was at university I did a work placement and in that year I worked for a tiny craft company and it opened my eyes to this amazing industry and led me think I want to start a business here. So, I researched the industry and met a load of the customers and the big thing for me was they were all into card making but nobody ever had an envelope to match the card. You could buy envelopes but in standard sizes. There were tools out there for folding different sizes and different shapes of card so I thought why can’t you use it to fold envelopes?

My dad, who is an engineer, managed to work out how we could do it because you had to turn the card at 45 degrees. That was the lightbulb moment for me that I was then able to pick that up and run with it and use that to form the basis of the business. I guess that’s the only thing with the show, a lot of people have these ideas but aren’t lucky enough that their dad is an engineer, so let’s give everyone access to these amazing engineers.

It’s a feel good show so can you tell us about the idea of the series and why it appealed to you?

I just love people and I love the excitement of being a part of someone’s journey. Quite often for me that’s in business and entrepreneurial journeys but this is a little different because this is inventors’ journeys, this is their ideas and what I love about it is a lot of people we’ve met have had these ideas for years and have just been sitting on them and not able to do anything with them because they didn’t know how to get it made.

They come along to us and you feel it the first time they walk in and talk to the engineers, you can see them getting so excited. When I get to interview the inventors, they feel grateful to me even though it’s not me who is the one doing it, it’s the engineers, they feel like I made that dream a reality. To be part of that with them is brilliant and I’m so chuffed to be helping make their dreams a reality.

I’ve never hosted my own show before and to be the presenter, able to ask all the questions we all want to know the answers too – it’s been really exciting.

Most people wouldn’t know where to go if they had an idea so how brilliant is it to be part of a show that can bring people’s ideas to life?

Phenomenal and I just know what a minefield it can be. When I want to launch a new product we go to specific product engineers and specialists all over the world who do this but it’s taken me 20 years to build up that knowledge of how to do that.

For a lot of people at home that would just be overwhelming and expensive and they don’t know what to do, so it’s so exciting that The Big Idea Works can be that facilitator. I also just think it will be so fascinating for people at home because it’s wonderful to connect with the inventors on their journey.

Can you tell us about how great it was to see the excitement of contributors when their dreams were realised?

It was one of the greatest privileges I’ve had working in TV. For a lot of them, we didn’t do what they asked for, we did that and went above and beyond. I loved filming the series and seeing contributors reactions.

Can you tell us about how amazing your team of experts are and how fascinating it was for you to learn from them and draw on their knowledge?

If you don’t know much about engineering there are so many specialist kinds. Eneni is a robotics specialist. Even when she isn’t leading on a project, it’s the way she can help and contribute which is just fascinating. Sim is a brilliant all-rounder, Andy is an electronics engineer, he gets so excited about some of the geeky elements to engineering.

Were there any moments in the series where you were blown away by what the experts created as some of the ideas ranged from the outlandish to the sublime?

I remember the first one wasn’t even something that looked that amazing but it was a baby product and because I’ve had kids I totally connected with the problem the inventor was trying to fix. When the engineers showed me, I thought ‘that isn’t physically possible’. I got my dad to come up to set, he drove up to Newcastle and he was stunned. It’s the simplest thing but it’s very clever engineering.

Were there any products that you felt you could actually use yourself and would want to take home?

Not every product we developed a prototype for is commercially viable. Some things I just loved for the learnings and the engineering but for the ones that are commercially viable I remember thinking I hope they go and do something with it because I would buy one of these tomorrow.

How has this series changed your views on the inventing world because Big Idea Works isn’t about making products that can be commercially successful?

The big win for me would be the day someone comes and tells me they were doing GCSEs and the teachers made them watch an episode of The Big Idea Works to understand how this works. That would be a life-made moment. I just think it’s the sort of one if you sit at home watching it you feel like you become a smarter person and you feel like you’ve really had to some value from watching it as well as it being incredibly heart-warming and fun too.

Why will this series appeal to ordinary people and what you think will be the biggest takeaways for audiences?

You see yourself in it. Ordinary people at home will see people like them on screen. Hopefully viewers will watch and think I’ve had an idea and could apply to that show. It just feels really normal and achievable.

How would you feel if someone from the series appeared on Dragons’ Dens further down the line after appearing on your show?

Absolutely thrilled, that to me would be full circle. Not all the products are capable of being made into a business but there are several of them which could be very commercially successful. You never know, we might see some of them in the Den.

Can you talk to us about the importance of filming a show like this in the North East and why your home region is so special?

The nations ad regions have so much to offer. We had some of the most talented cameramen and women, sound guys, runners working on this show with the production company, TwentySix03 and people who just don’t get opportunities in our area to work on TV. A lot of people have to travel outside of the region to get work and I know how much it means to me to be able to work in my home region.

What impact do you hope the series could have?

I really hope it can inspire people to be interested in engineering and to do something with the ideas they have because there’s so much potential and people just need to know where to go and how to do this. And I hope that people enjoy watching them, and want to binge more of them. It’s been a fabulous series to work on and I can’t wait for people to see the episodes.

New BBC One series The Big Idea Works features everyday people who have come up with a clever idea for a new product, but don’t know where to start in getting it made.

Step in Sara, with her eye for innovation and amazing concepts, she brings together people with amazing ideas and the brilliant makers who can turn them into reality.

Across the series, these creative ideas range from a mess-free birdfeeder and a machine that chills your drinks in seconds, to a sugar-detecting pen for diabetics and a ball that creates bubbles and keeps your bath warm.

Watch The Big Idea Works on iPlayer and BBC One from Monday 03 February at 2pm