Elisabeth Murdoch is to leave Shine Group after the merger between the super-indie she founded in 2001 and Endemol is complete.

Murdoch has been chair of the 21st Century Fox-owned business for the past two years but will not be part of the new company going forward.

According to Screen sister publication Broadcast, Murdoch will not sit on the board of the enlarged company - although there was no expectation that she would be part of the new venture.

She is expected to concentrate on her own personal investments, which include Locksmith Animation, the studio set up earlier this year by Aardman Features creative director Sarah Smith. Murdoch and VFX business Double Negative backed the company in April.

It comes after it was revealed that former Sky chief Sophie Turner Laing is set to lead the new business. The former managing director of content at Sky is to become chief executive of the company and the deal is understood to be days away from completion.

Shine chief executive Alex Mahon and Endemol chief executive Just Spee will remain with their respective companies until the deal is closed but will leave after regulatory clearances have been approved.

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