Banijay UK merges RDF & Remarkable, Kitty Walshe departs

Your Home Made Perfect

Banijay UK labels RDF and Remarkable Factual are to merge, with staff cuts expected and Kitty Walshe, who heads up both labels, to depart.

A redundancy consultation is currently underway at the newly combined entity, which will continue under the RDF name, though it is understood that Walshe made her decision to leave before the decision to merge the firms was made.

RDF West managing director Jo Scarratt-Jones and London chief Meredith Chambers are to remain at the company.

Walshe joined Banijay from Twofour around eight years ago to head up Remarkable Factual and added RDF to her remit in 2021. During her time at Remarkable Factual and RDF she has overseen the creation of formats including Your Home Made Perfect, Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway, The Big Interior Battle, and Virtually History, as well as Disability and Abortion and upcoming No Strings Attached.

“We have been reviewing the structure of RDF and Remarkable Factual over the past 12 months and have made the decision to bring the two businesses together as RDF,” said a Banijay spokesperson. “Banijay UK is committed to long term growth, and we believe that this structure will provide renewed clarity to the market and make the business stronger, more agile and focused to meet the creative needs of a changing market. Staff have been informed and we are reviewing a new structural proposal with them.”

They added: “After putting in place a senior management team across RDF and Remarkable Factual, Kitty Walshe has decided after eight years that now is the time to step down from her role as CEO RDF Group and embrace her next adventure. RDF Co MDs Meredith Chambers and Jo Scarratt-Jones will lead RDF going forward.”

In an internal memo, Banijay UK boss Patrick Holland said that Walshe is a “brilliant creative who I had the privilege to commission when I was Controller of BBC2” and added that she “leaves a really strong legacy across Banijay UK and I wish her every success with her next move.”

Walshe said in a statement: “After eight years with the business I feel that now is the right time for my next adventure. I am hugely proud of what we’ve achieved.”