Fremantle’s Thames names creative chief & director of programmes

Charlie Irwin & Shona Baldwin

I Can See Your Voice producer Thames has promoted Shona Baldwin to become creative director and appointed Charlie Irwin to the newly created role of director of programmes.

Baldwin takes up the role previously held by Phil Harris, who joined Channel 4 last year.

She was most recently director of development at Thames, having joined in 2018 from Boomerang. Her remit includes leading Thames’ overall creative strategy with responsibility for the development of entertainment and factual entertainment shows.

She has previously helped to secure commissions including Supermarket Sweep, Blockbusters, Rob Beckett’s Savage Socials, Family Fortunes and the forthcoming BBC One gameshow, I Can See Your Voice. She has also worked at Studio Lambert and will report to Thames MD Amelia Brown in her new role.

Irwin, meanwhile, started his career at Thames in 2004 on the first series of The X Factor. He has since worked on shows including Saturday Night Takeaway, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Sunday Night At The Palladium, before returning to Thames in 2017 as executive producer of Britain’s Got Talent.

He will work closely with Brown to oversee all Thames output, as well as nurturing new talent and expanding its commissions.

Brown said: “Shona and Charlie are so well-deserved of these promotions. They are invaluable members of the Thames family and I couldn’t think of two better people to oversee and develop our slate as we look ahead to the future.”