YouTube Premium is to debut 50 original series in 2019 and has got a range of celebrity-driven formats in development with producers of “all shapes and sizes”.

Luke Hyams, head of originals, YouTube, EMEA, lifted the lid on the Google-owned company’s content drive in Europe, Middle East and Africa, at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

Hyams revealed that it will launch these 50 shows next year, alongside its 65 existing originals and specials, in a variety of different ways, including putting some episodes up for free, while also balancing between full series binge drops and weekly episodes.

He told producers in the UK that he wants to work with local content, highlighting its recent Fulwell 73-produced series Training Days with Jack Whitehall, that can “take us into a new world” and The Sidemen Show. He also premiered a short clip from its forthcoming big-budget sci-fi drama Origin, which is produced by The Crown producer Left Bank Pictures.

He also pointed to shows such as Adam Levine’s music series Sugar and Will Smith’s forthcoming birthday bungee jump from the Grand Canyon as examples of what he would like more of. “We are looking for things that can only exist onYoutube,” he added.

The company is already working with British producers including Sam Branson’s Sundog on Priyanka Chopra-fronted If I Could Tell You Just One and Antenna Pictures on The Sidemen Show and is keen to expand this. “We’ve got stuff in development with people of all shapes and sizes. We’re all ears,” he added.