BBC Studios Forms New U.K. Entertainment Unit to House Strictly Come Dancing, Glastonbur

Publish date: 2024-06-27

BBC Studios have formed a new division for U.K. entertainment to be headed by Suzy Lamb, Variety has learned.

The new unit comes after Studios, the BBC’s commercial arm which produces content sold around the world, merged its entertainment/music and factual entertainment/events divisions, which produced content including the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, King Charles III’s coronation party and shows such as “Strictly Come Dancing” and “The Weakest Link.”

By splitting off U.K. entertainment the aim is to allow Lamb and her team to focus on the development/production/format sales pipeline more efficiently. Lamb, who was previously managing director of the entertainment and music unit, will oversee creative, commercial and operational strategy. She will report to Matt Forde, head of BBC Studios’ global entertainment business.

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Among the shows the new U.K. division will produce are the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage, “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Alison Hammond’s Big Weekend.”

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Lamb has been with Studios since 2018, prior to which she was head of entertainment at talkbackThames, where she oversaw shows including “Take Me Out” with Paddy McGuinness and “All Star Family Fortunes.” Before that she worked at the BBC and spent two years at NBC in L.A.

Katie Brewer, currently director of production for factual entertainment and events in which capacity she has overseen “Dragon’s Den” and Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral among other events, will become the new U.K. entertainment unit’s director of production. Before joining Studios in 2021 Brewer was at Banijay’s RDF, where she was director of production for a group of labels.

“The global entertainment market continues to evolve at pace and the new U.K. entertainment unit will be the centrepiece of our global entertainment division, driving growth as well as building on the incredible success of its existing titles,” said Forde. “I’m excited to see what they will go on to create and deliver under Suzy’s leadership.”

Lamb added: “I’m very much looking forward to leading the new U.K. entertainment unit. With a thriving slate already in place and lots of new formats coming through the pipeline it really is an exciting time for BBC Studios.”

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