Fremantle’s Lamb lands major BBC post

FremantleMedia’s Suzy Lamb has landed the entertainment and music genre director post at BBC Studios.

The role was created earlier this year when director Mark Linsey decided to split the BBC Studios entertainment division in two.

Lamb, currently head of entertainment at Fremantle-owned Thames, will lead the entertainment and music unit, putting her in charge of shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Later… With Jools Holland and BBC Children in Need Night of TV.

She will also be in charge of creative, commercial and operational strategy, and will sit on the BBC Studios executive board.

Another Fremantle exec, Hannah Wyatt, has already been tapped to lead the factual entertainment and events division.

Lamb has spent eleven years working in the indie sector, having previously worked in production at the BBC on shows such as Big Break, Top of the Pops and Wogan.

At Thames, which is being re-merged with FremantleMedia UK sister label Talkback after six years, she oversees popular dating show Take Me Out and co-created spin-off Take Me Out: The Gossip. She also revived gameshows The Price is Right and Blankety Blank, exec-produced eleven seasons of All Star Family Fortunes, and oversaw Andrew Lloyd Webber’s live musical show Over the Rainbow.

She had joined TalkbackThames in 2008 and became head of entertainment two years later.

“Suzy Lamb is an award-winning, class act whose experience and expertise in the field of entertainment and music production is incredibly impressive,” said Linsey.

“The BBC has a very special place in my heart. To be returning after eleven years in the independent sector to be part of BBC Studios’ future, making world class entertainment and music shows is hugely exciting,” said Lamb.

“I am looking forward to working with the teams to build on the success of the existing brands and also to create some fantastic new ones.”

BBC Studios has been operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of UK pubcaster the BBC since April.