Thames’ managing director Amelia Brown has paused plans to set up her own business after Fremantle named her Simon Andrae’s successor as chief executive of its UK business.
Following Andreae’s resignation last week, Brown steps up after six years in her Thames role to take on the role with immediate effect.
Prior to accepting the role, she had been slated to leave the company in July to set up her own indie. She will now stay to oversee the strategic direction of Fremantle UK and the output of labels Thames, Talkback and Naked. She now joins the company’s global leadership team.
Fremantle UK grew its production turnover by 50% to £182.6m in 2022 and its labels are behind hit shows including Britain’s Got Talent (ITV), Too Hot To Handle (Netflix), Never Mind the Buzzcocks (Sky Max), QI (BBC2), The Apprentice (BBC1) and The Rap Game UK (BBC3).
Group chief executive Jennifer Mullin said: “[Brown] knows how to make great shows, and more than that, is an incredibly astute businesswoman and inclusive and inspiring leader.”
Brown said she is “beyond proud” and called Fremantle a “very special place that celebrates creativity” with “some of the very best programme makers”.
Brown has been part of Fremantle for twenty years, and was appointed managing director of Thames in 2017. She has been series producer and exec producer on Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor.
She led Thames’ expansion into the world of reality television and factual entertainment with Too Hot To Handle - a co-production with fellow Fremantle label Talkback - plus Mamma Mia! Have a Dream for ITV and The Big Celebrity Detox for E4.
Her Thames successor will be announced soon.
Majority investment Label 1 (Hospital, Saving Lives in Leeds) will also report to Brown, while Fremantle’s scripted label Euston Films will report to Christian Vesper, chief exec of global drama.
Recent acquisitions 72 Films and Wildstar Films will continue to report to their individual boards.
It emerged earlier this week that Andreae faced two allegations of workplace misconduct before his resignation.
This story first appeared on Screen’s sister site Broadcast
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