Talpa taps ex-C4 exec for UK development

Talpa UK has hired a former Channel 4 commissioning editor to become its director of development and formats.

The British arm of ITV Studios-owned Talpa Media has appointed Madeleine Knight to the post.

She joins having previously been at UK broadcaster C4, where her commissions included 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Time Crashers, the reboot of Fifteen to One and the upcoming Wedding Town.

Knight left C4 last year in May to “pursue other opportunities”.

That came as Objective Productions’ Ben Caudell was named as C4’s head of entertainment to replace Justin Gorman, who has since launched FremantleMedia-backed Man Alive Entertainment.

“Talpa has an unprecedented global track record and I look forward to working with them to find the next generation of entertainment, factual entertainment and factual formats, with the collaboration of brilliant creative in the ITV group of companies,” said Knight.

Maarten Meijs, who oversees Talpa’s international arm, Talpa Global, said: “The expansion of our format portfolio in the UK is a crucial part of our strategy, and to be able to reach that goal we’ll work together with the fantastic network of companies within ITV Studios. Madeleine Knight will be in charge of this process as the new director of development and formats.”

Talpa’s formats slate includes Dating in the Dark, Divided and The Puppet Show.