Episode 41 

This week, Tessa is joined by Sue Walker, founder and director of Kids London, for a practical and reflective conversation about working with children in the modelling industry. Sue shares insight from her years in the industry, talking through what responsible representation looks like day to day and how a children’s agency works behind the scenes. 

The discussion explores how children’s modelling has evolved, the increasing awareness around safeguarding and wellbeing, and the judgment calls agencies must make when balancing commercial work with a child’s best interests. Sue shares her perspective on trust, communication with parents and clients, and why long-term thinking matters when representing young talent. The episode offers a clear, grounded look at the realities of children’s modelling and the responsibility that sits behind the scenes in doing the job properly. 

Sue Walker on Children’s Modelling, Responsibility and Representation 

Interview by Tessa Dewing for The Business of Modelling Podcast 

Sue Walker, founder of Kids London, has spent nearly three decades representing children in the modelling and commercial industry. Before becoming an agent, she worked as a successful model herself, travelling internationally and building a career across campaigns and editorial work.  

After modelling for 16 years, Sue felt she had reached the natural end of that career. “I’d been in the industry for 16 years, and you really can’t buy that experience,” she explains. “I cared about models because I’d been on the other side. I understand what it’s like.”  

Becoming a mother also shaped the way she viewed the industry and the kind of agency she wanted to build. “You understand mums as well,” she says. “So that’s what really made me start the agency… something I could do with the experience I had and something where I was steering my own ship.”  

Building Kids London and Setting Standards 

When Sue founded Kids London in 1996, she approached children’s casting very differently from many agencies at the time. The industry, she felt, had become narrow in how it represented children. 

“It was very ‘chocolate box’ then. Blonde, blue-eyed Shirley Temple type children,” she says. Instead, she wanted to reflect the children she saw around her every day. “I saw a gap in the market. I wanted kids who looked like the kids I see in South London… more street, more diverse.”  

In the early days the agency relied heavily on scouting rather than traditional applications. “Everything was street casting,” Sue recalls. “Some of the best kids have been found scouting… they’re always the ones. It’s not the ones who are desperate to model.”  

The Realities of Working with Children 

Representing children brings responsibilities that go far beyond bookings and castings. “The best thing you can have is to be a people person,” Sue explains. “You’ve got to communicate with the parents… because it’s their precious commodity, their child.”  

The role can also be demanding and unpredictable. “It’s not a nine-to-five job,” she says. “You get calls after hours… things happen, someone’s missed a flight, problems come up.”  

Despite that, Sue still finds the work deeply rewarding. Helping a child secure an opportunity or seeing a campaign appear on television brings a sense of satisfaction that has kept her motivated for decades. “You’re giving families and children amazing opportunities,” she says. “Some families from poorer backgrounds get to travel, and they remember those experiences all their life.”  

Safeguarding, Trust and Responsibility 

A significant part of Sue’s role involves managing expectations and protecting the wellbeing of the children she represents. 

Many parents enter the industry with ideas that do not reflect how casting works. Sue recalls parents saying, “I only want my daughter to do Vogue or Gucci,” but as she explains, “it doesn’t work like that. It depends on what the client is looking for.”  

If a child is working regularly, parents must be prepared to support that commitment. “If your child is working, you’re going to have to take them to jobs,” she says, noting that children change quickly, particularly when they are young. “Babies are growing constantly, so parents have to keep us updated.”  

Change Within the Industry 

Sue has also seen significant changes in the expectations placed on children within shoots and campaigns. One issue she feels strongly about is ensuring children are treated fairly and not overworked. 

“They’re missing school, the parents have to take time off work, and the brands are making money,” she explains. “So, it’s important they get paid fairly, and we fight for that.”  

Clients who are new to working with children can also underestimate how unpredictable young performers can be. “If they’re two years old, they can have an off day,” Sue says. “They might have a tantrum, or they’re just not feeling it. You’ve got to warm them up a bit.”  

Long-Term Thinking and Representation 

Looking back over nearly three decades in the industry, Sue still approaches the job with the same mindset that first drove her to start Kids London. “I actually love my job,” she says. “After 30 years I still love my job.”  

For her, the work has never been purely about commercial success. The motivation has always been about creating opportunities and supporting young talent. “It’s never been money driven,” she says. “What drives me is making things happen for people.”  

Her perspective offers a reminder that children’s modelling requires careful judgement, patience and responsibility. Behind every booking is not just a campaign or commercial, but a child and a family trusting an agency to guide them through the industry.