The BBC has confirmed that Kate Phillips has been named the new controller of entertainment commissioning.
She takes over from Mark Linsey, who became director of BBC Studios when Peter Salmon left for Endemol Shine.
Phillips takes responsibility for commissioning across all BBC channels and the iPlayer, as well as overseeing the likes of Dragons’ Den, Top Gear, The Apprentice and Strictly Come Dancing. She will also look after events including Eurovision and Children in Need.
“Kate Phillips brings an enormous wealth of experience and a fresh, dynamic approach, which makes her perfectly placed to lead BBC entertainment commissioning into the future,” said Charlotte Moore, controller of TV Channels and BBC iPlayer.
“Having worked across channels and most recently for BBC Worldwide where she has overseen formats across the globe, she has entertainment running through her veins and I’m very excited about her ambition to create distinctive, game-changing hits across the whole of the BBC portfolio.”
Phillips is currently creative director of formats at BBC Worldwide, looking after formats including The Great British Bake Off, Luther and The Office. Prior to joining Worldwide, she was the channel executive for BBC One and BBC Three. She has also worked in the independent sector as co-owner and director of Mast Media.
“The BBC has some of the biggest entertainment brands in the world, and close collaboration with our creative community, containing the world’s leading producers, is the key to building that slate,” she said.
“Entertainment matters to our audiences and will always be at the heart of the BBC. Helping to create stand-out content that viewers, producers and the BBC can be proud of will always be my goal.”
Before moving into BBC entertainment, Phillips was head of development for BBC Children’s. She created and ran BBC training scheme, Future Formats and was the BBC Formats representative on the European Broadcast Union.
She will take up the new role on September 5th.
