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British rocker Rod Stewart has called out Greg Wallace for his departure from U.K.’s MasterChef cooking show, following allegations of the presenter’s inappropriate sexual comments.

In a post to Instagram on Thursday, Stewart slammed Wallace: “Good riddance Wallace…you humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn’t you? You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya.”

He signed off “Sir Rod Stewart.”

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It was reported earlier on Thursday that an investigation had been launched against Wallace and he would no longer be involved with the BBC competition show.

Allegations of inappropriate comments were made by 13 individuals who Wallace had worked with across a wide range of shows he hosted over 17 years.

A spokesperson for BBC said a statement,...

The poster tells the story of the show: Newlyweds look forlorn as they stand knee-deep in a tropical ocean with only a bobbing red suitcase for company. As the title confirms, the unlucky couple are Stranded on Honeymoon Island.

The series (think Married at First Sight meets Survivor) was one of the buzziest new formats at Cannes’ MIPCOM television market last week — and the poster, which adorned the walls of a Palais stand, said much about the interconnected nature of the business. Here, in this sunny corner of France, was a German producer selling a show born in Denmark, raised in Belgium, and putting down roots in the UK.

Stranded on Honeymoon Island’s home on British shores is the BBC. Three sources tell Deadline that the national broadcaster secured the show amid interest from ITV and Channel 4 after it was auctioned by Cpl, the maker of Love Is Blind: UK.

MasterChef. Supergirl. The Kelly Clarkson Show. These productions all initially filmed in California but were convinced to leave at least in part due to more lucrative tax credits in others regions. Now, as runaway production and Hollywood cost-cutting threatens the state’s hold on the film and television business, Gov. Gavin Newsom is stepping in.

An early budget proposal looks to vastly increase California’s current cap for a program that provides tax relief to producers across the business from $330 million to $750 million a year, Newsom is set to reveal on Sunday. The expansion would shower as much as $3.75 billion in tax credits to the industry over five years starting in 2025.

If passed, the subsidy would be the most generous offered by any state except Georgia, which doesn’t have a ceiling on the amount it gives to productions per year. That includes New York, Hollywood’s second most-popular destination...

“Hell’s Kitchen” celebrates its milestone 350th episode on Fox Wednesday, October 24. In its 23rd season, the cooking competition led by Chef Gordon Ramsay has become a staple of reality TV and launched the foul-mouthed culinary powerhouse into superstar status.

Ramsay was first introduced to American audiences when “Hell’s Kitchen” premiered in May 2005. Viewers were quickly drawn to his angry tirades in the kitchen that led to some of the most popular memes and phrases on social media. Idiot sandwich, anyone? Each season sees cooks competing to become a head chef at one of Gordon’s flagship restaurants. Some of the winners have even gone on to high-ranking positions within Gordon’s other business ventures.

Season 23 is a “Head Chefs Only” theme, and for the first time ever, all 18 contestants are head chefs at their respective restaurants at home. There are currently 13 chefs still in the running to become this year’s champ.

Exclusive: Banijay has taken global rights to a format featuring autistic food critics who assess renowned chefs.

Atypical Critics comes from MasterChef Quebec producer Pixcom and will be sold worldwide via the French-headquartered powerhouse, as MIPCOM draws to a close.

Atypical Critics features autistic food critics who descend upon restaurants to assess chefs and their three-course meals. With no fixed boundaries, the connoisseurs offer feedback and advice to improve the dining experience.

Helen Greatorex, Head of Format Acquistions, Banijay Entertainment, said: “Atypical Critics is a bold, heart-warming format highlighting neurodiversity while challenging the conventions of culinary critique. This format not only expands our portfolio with a fresh, inclusive take on the genre, complementing our successful food offering of hits like MasterChef, but also encourages important conversation about representation and inclusion.”

Banijay’s recent catalogue additions include Genuis Game from Cj Enm, adapted for ITV Remarkable Television with David Tennant hosting,...

‘Homecoming: The Tobi Amusan Story’ Trailer

Nile Media Entertainment Group has boarded a new documentary from Athlst and MagicLine Films about world record hurdler Tobi Amusan. Nile Media will rep global sales on “Homecoming: The Tobi Amusan Story.”

Amusan became world record holder in the 100m hurdles in 2022 and is also a three-time Diamond League champion. Athlst Studios CEO Lanre Aina and Sulaiman Folarin co-direct the documentary.

“This documentary is a window into my world,” she said. “It’s about the sweat, tears, and countless hours of training that go into those few seconds on the track.”

Check out the trailer below:

Banijay Germany to Adapt ‘MasterChef,’ ‘Survivor’

Banijay Germany announced today that its entertainment label, Brainpool, will produce local adaptations of “MasterChef” and “Survivor” in partnership with AcunMedya. Both shows will air on the German channel Sport1. Represented globally by Banijay Entertainment, “MasterChef” was created by Franc Roddam and received more than 70 local commissions,...

For years, Gordon Ramsay and his hit MasterChef franchise called a converted soundstage in Los Angeles home. From there, contestants crisscrossed the 30-mile zone where Hollywood holds court to film on location at glitzy mansions and Michelin-starred restaurants. Tens of millions of dollars flowed into the economy across the Fox show’s 14 seasons.

Enter Australia, which has aggressively been courting the production to relocate. It was a tempting proposition. The burgeoning film hub, unlike California, allows unscripted programming to receive tax credits to shoot there. Still, the math didn’t make sense, at least not until permitting issues with MasterChef’s L.A. soundstage emerged that would require major renovations. So, starting next year, producers will fly dozens of home cooks — and the troves of cash that come with a big-budget network production — to shoot in Australia.

“It’s distressing,” says Paul Audley, president of the permitting office FilmLA. “We...

Superindie Banijay Entertainment, the France-headquartered international content production and distribution giant with more than 130 production companies across 23 territories, has a catalog of over 185,000 hours of original programming, including such hits as Survivor, Black Mirror, Marie Antoinette, Peaky Blinders, MasterChef, and Big Brother. And it has an executive role that is unlike most others.

In early 2023, the company hired HBO Europe veteran Steve Matthews as an addition to its central scripted department. The former executive of Octagon Films in Dublin (Love/Hate) and consulting producer on all three seasons of Showtime’s The Borgias, starring Jeremy Irons, has since then worked as content partnerships executive at Banijay. He is tasked with contributing to the production development process, “supporting in driving co-production opportunities across the Nordics, Spain and beyond, and generally building out the business’ pipeline and creative partnerships primarily across drama.”

Matthews will be speaking at MIPCOM 2024 on Tuesday during a “Drama...

Gordon Ramsay is cooking up his first show for Netflix.

The MasterChef USA presenter will star in a docuseries that will chronicle his plans to open culinary experiences in London’s second tallest building, 22 Bishopsgate.

Cameras have also been granted access to Ramsay’s family, including his wife Tana, as he juggles home life with professional commitments.

Produced by Studio Ramsay Global, Being Gordon Ramsay will filmed over a period of nine months. Netflix did not announce a premiere date, but the culinary venture launches in February 2025.

The Ramsay series is directed by Dionne Bromfield, with executive producers Amanda Westwood, Deborah Sargeant, and Lisa Edwards. Jess Holder is the production executive.

Netflix announced the docuseries at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Wednesday.

In search of epic vacations, hidden gems, and unique getaway ideas? It’s time to ignite your wanderlust with some of the best travel podcasts.

With stories primed to pique your curiosity and handy hints on how to make it all happen, let this be your call to adventure. If you’re ready to level up your next trip, let the journey begin!

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

By Stitcher Studios and Atlas Obscura

For those looking to experience the weird and wonderful, this is the ideal place to start. Travel to the bizarre in these less-than-30-minute bites with host Dylan Thuras and an array of reporters.

It’s the perfect way to uncover our world’s myriad oddities, from Gourdlandia — which, weirdly, is exactly what it sounds like — to Jerry’s Hat Museum and beyond. Where will “Atlas Obscura” take you? There’s only one way to find out!

Master Chef Judge Kunal Kapur Granted Divorce After Wife Made Wild Allegations ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Celebrity Chef Kunal Kapur, who is a regular guest on the cooking reality show Master Chef and also judged it for two seasons, has been granted divorce after being denied one in the lower court. Kunal appealed for divorce in a family court, which did not pass the judgment in his favor, and he challenged the court’s decision in the Delhi High Court.

In his plea, Kunal mentioned that his wife has been humiliating him in public and regularly disrespecting his parents. The judgment was passed after the hearing of both parties.

The divorce was granted to Kunal Kapur on the grounds of cruelty and humiliation. The bench, in their judgment, said, “We find that the conduct of the respondent (wife) towards the appellant (husband) has been such that it is devoid of dignity and empathy towards him.

Music, food and games will fill Fox’s summer slate.

The network has announced the following premiere dates: I Can See Your Voice and Don’t Forget the Lyrics (Thursday, May 16); Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars (Wednesday, May 22); Beat Shazam and The Quiz With Balls (Tuesday, May 28), MasterChef (Wednesday, May 29) and Name That Tune (Monday, June 3).

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New for Food Stars Season 2, Gordon Ramsay and reality-tv vet Lisa Vanderpump...

Hollywood’s historic season of strikes decimated filming in Los Angeles, with the region recording close to the lowest production levels on record.

The decline marks the fourth consecutive quarterly shooting drop, capping off a year in which filming was blocked for over four months. Filming for TV shows, long a mainstay in Los Angeles, saw the steepest dip.

The report from FilmLA reflects the last quarter that accounts for the strikes. The agency said that the three-month period from October to December saw 5,520 shoot days, which represents a roughly 36 percent decline from the same quarter last year. The work stoppages from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA concluded on Sept. 27 and Nov. 9 respectively.

FilmLA noted that the resolution of the strikes “came too late for production to pick up by year’s end,” though runaway production is also a factor. On-location filming in Los Angeles has been continuously declining since 2021 as...

In July 2019, comedian Heather McMahan was at a Lululemon-sponsored Malibu retreat when she got a phone call that changed her life — after a suggestion from Maria Shriver (who followed McMahan, also host of the Absolutely Not podcast, on Instagram), the Today show asked her to join Jenna Bush Hager as a fourth-hour guest co-host.

In her new comedy special, McMahan shares the full, unedited version of that story: when the invite from Today came in, asking her to jump on a redeye to New York while being practically incapacitated by edibles. “They haven’t seen the special yet, but I know Jenna is going to love that part of the story,” McMahan says with a laugh on the eve of Son I Never Had‘s release. “Hoda is the coolest, but I’m sure she’ll be like, wow, what a professional to come after [the] show after having been high for three days.

Mike Darnell has stepped down from his role as President of Unscripted Television at Warner Bros. after a decade at the studio, he announced in a statement Thursday.

“Letting yourself go is always difficult… I took a deep breath, called myself on Zoom and told myself it was time to leave,” he wrote. “I took it surprisingly well. Actually, Channing approached me a couple of months ago, and although I was given the opportunity to stay… it would have meant more changes for both my personal deal and to the general structure of the division.

Darnell added that “a couple of new ventures have come my way” during the discussions, but “even so, deciding to leave was difficult.”

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‘A League Of Their Own’ Could Swing Beyond Shortened Season 2 at Prime Video, Says TV Head Vernon Sanders

In his 10 years at the studio, Darnell oversaw programming like “The Voice” and the “Bachelor” franchise.

Milan-based events creator Marco Balich has choreographed and produced a record-breaking 14 Olympic ceremonies, including for the 2006, 2014, 2016 and 2020 Olympics respectively held in Turin, Sochi, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

More recently, Balich and his team created the spectacular ceremony for the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup.

His Balich Wonder Studio has now partnered with global content giant Banijay, which has taken a 51% stake in the outfit he created in 2013.

They are combining their strengths to expand the studio’s scope in various ways, a key one being venturing into immersive live experiences set in the worlds of Banijay IPs such as “Black Mirror” and “Peaky Blinders” in the scripted realm and, interestingly, also “Master Chef” to mention those he cited.

After announcing the deal last week, Balich spoke exclusively to Variety about the strategic rationales behind the Banijay partnership.

You were doing pretty well on your own. Why did you decided to...

We Americans are fascinated with food and the people who prepare and serve it. A quick glance at all of the reality cooking/competition shows on television will confirm this. You’ve got everything from “Master Chef” to “Iron Chef” to “Next Level Chef” to “Chef’s Table,” “Chopped,” “The Great British Bake-Off” and “The American Barbecue Showdown,” for starters. But the legacy of scripted TV shows about cooking and restaurant-ing isn’t nearly as epic, which is why FX on Hulu’s “The Bear” was such a revelation when it launched last summer.

“The Bear” introduced up to the pressure-cooker life inside an Italian beef sandwich shop in Chicago. It captured the visceral, adrenalin-pumping chaos of the food industry in a way nothing had before, showing us just how unglamorous and dangerous (and yet colorful and compelling) a kitchen can be. After just eight episodes, it’s already probably the...

Mumbai, March 14 (Ians) As the cooking-based reality show, ‘MasterChef India’ is heading toward its finale on March 31, some photos from the set have leaked which suggest that Assam’s Nayanjyoti Saikia will be the winner of this season.

Saikia’s photo wearing the ‘MasterChef coat’ and carrying the trophy along with the crew members has been uploaded on the show’s fan page.

The caption reads: “Nayanjyoti lifts the #masterchefindia 7 Trophy… Finally, the Ending was good. Congratulations to you nahhh Boy.”

However, the makers have not made any official announcement about it.

After the post, many of the social media users congratulated the 26-year-old self-taught cook.

One of the fans wrote on Twitter: “Really happy for him as he is the only deserving contestant with ‘good heart’ and ‘great cooking! A person who learnt everything watching youtube & winning a title is amazing”

Saikia was found by celebrity chef Vikas Khanna...

The Challenge two-time champ Jonna Mannion was the first Challenge legend off the board in World Championship when Australia standout Grant Crapp drafted her. In a recent interview, she admitted she considers the players from the Australian franchise the players to beat and explained why.

The ‘Australian’ Global MVPs all teamed up with ‘The Challenge’ champs

Four Global MVPs representing spinoffs The Challenge: Argentina, Australia, UK, and USA returned for World Championship to face off alongside Challenge veterans for the global title. It began with the group competing in a multi-step qualifier with the male and female player who finished last, earning a spot in elimination.

Additionally, the MVPs would pick an MTV legend of the opposite sex in a draft based on when they finished the challenge. Australia’s Grant Crapp won and picked two-time champ Jonna Mannion first, initially surprising her and the rest of the competition.

The...

It’s time to slime!

The 2023 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards are back and better than ever. Hosted by Nate Burleson, co-host of “CBS Mornings” and CBS Sports analyst, and digital superstar Charli D’Amelio, the wackiest awards show of them packed on the star power, and of course, the slime.

For the first time ever, the KCAs took place live from the Microsoft Theater — simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, the Nick Jr. channel, TVLand, CMT and MTV2 — celebrating fan-favourite stars from television, movies, sports, music and more. This year’s show also featured extreme logic-defying stunts, wild celebrity collaborations and games, magical illusions and tricks, interactive moments within the Nickverse and epic slimings.

Check out the complete list of winners below!

Television

Favourite Kids TV Show

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Ms. Marvel

Raven’s Home

That Girl Lay Lay

The Fairly OddParents:...

The streamers, led by Netflix, moved into the non-scripted entertainment space in a serious way about five years ago.

This coupled with the fact that the broadcast networks were still having disproportionate success with unscripted shows, opened plenty of opportunities for producers to create new entertainment formats.

Enter former MasterChef showrunner Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton, also an exec producer on the Fox cooking show, who launched The Old School, an independent production company in 2018 with Netflix’s The Final Table, the streamer’s first significant move into the food space.

Since then, the pair have worked with the likes of Helen Mirren, Tan France, Alexa Chung and Gigi Hadid on a number of shiny floor entertainment shows.

They are now gearing up for the premiere of the second season of Netflix’s Next In Fashion, a design competition series with Hadid taking over from Chung and joined by the likes of Hailey Bieber,...

The cooking competition TV show MasterChef has been a hit since 2010. And it almost seems as if each season is more intense than the last. Whether you are tuning in to get a glimpse of the amazing dishes, or if you just enjoy hearing foul-mouthed judge Gordon Ramsay’s insulting comments, there is no denying that the show is entertaining. Each season, home cooks line up in hopes of being selected as a contestant on the show. But it is not easy to get one of those white aprons. As part of a grueling audition process, MasterChef potential contestants have to prepare a signature dish.

‘MasterChef’ is 1 of the most prestigious cooking competitions in the world Gordon Ramsey of “Masterchef” Celebrates 100 Episodes at Walt Disney Studio Lot on February 5, 2015 in Burbank, California. | Justin Baker/WireImage

Home cooks everywhere dream about the chance to be on the show. There’s a...

Exclusive: For Banijay Asia’s Deepak Dhar, 2023 is shaping up to be one of the busiest in a three-decade career in Indian media. He has just launched The Night Manager India on Disney+ Hotstar, is delivering several scripted and unscripted shows and is also working to position India has Banijay’s Asian production hub.

“There are four pillars to our business,” he tells Deadline. “Unscripted, scripted formats, original scripted and developing India as the outsourcing hub for a lot of the rest of Asia.”

The theory is countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, which share professional and audience taste similarities to India, will use Banijay’s Indian production assets for remakes of formats such as Temptation Island and Survivor. “They can be easily produced here,” says Dhar, who can tap local tax credits to help finance series.

His team is now at an “advanced stage of...

Celebrity chef Garima Arora, who is seen currently among the panel of judges on the cooking-based reality show ‘MasterChef India’ along with chefs Ranveer Brar, and Vikas Khanna, talked about the challenges that the top nine home chefs or contestants will be facing in the ‘Race to Finale’ week.

She said: “This week, as the home cooks prepare for the ‘Race to Finale’, the challenges will become more difficult. All challenges are designed to put the home cooks’ skills to the test, and their acumen. In the week, I will be one of the challenges presented to the home chefs, and I will ask them to replicate a dish of mine.”

The chef added that these challenges will help the contestants show their talent in the best possible way and bring out their creativity and innovative skills. “These challenges, once again, hone the skills of the home cooks in their...

Where's Home Really? is a brand-new podcast hosted by British-Nigerian writer, broadcaster, and restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa. Best known for his role as a guest judge on BBC One's Masterchef and as one of the lead judges on Channel 4's The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver, Jimi has always been fascinated by the relationship between food, culture, and heritage.

Motion Content Group, an industrious producer and co-financier of Love Island, Wynonna Earp and some 1,800 other series globally, is rebranding as GroupM Motion Entertainment in North America.

The move comes amid a broader pivot toward premium programming.

Motion Content, already well-established in more than two dozen territories, made a major push into the U.S. several years ago, with CEO Richard Foster relocating from London to LA. Those efforts took shape just before Covid upended the production sector.

GroupM Motion Entertainment will be co-led by Foster, Global CEO GroupM Motion Entertainment, and Kirk McDonald, CEO GroupM North America.

Beginning in 2009 as GroupM Entertainment, the unit initially worked with broadcasters such as Viacom’s Channel 5, then owned by controversial British media baron Richard Desmond, to pay for a range of factual and entertainment titles. Multi-faceted deals were structured by covered advertising and international ancillary arrangements. It then moved into drama,...

Mumbai, Feb 21 (Ians) Chef Kunal Kapur, who is known for hosting previous seasons of ‘MasterChef India’, returned to the show as a guest chef and joined judges Ranveer Brar, Garima Arora and Vikas Khanna for ‘The Taste of India’ challenge episode.

He introduced the contestants to the ingredients from different parts of the country and challenged them to prepare dishes that represent India.

Talking about his experience of returning to the show, Kunal said: “The MasterChef kitchen is like home to me, and I have an amazing relationship with the judges. Also, meeting chef Garima after a long time was a wonderful experience.”

Speaking about the task, he said: “The challenge was very special to me as they had to explore various ingredients from across the country. I feel all the home cooks have the potential and zeal to become MasterChef.”

During the episode, Assam’s Santa Sarmah presented ‘Khaja...

Well-known chef Manav Khanna challenged the cooking skills of the contestant Priyanka Kundu during the ‘Immunity Pin’ challenge of ‘MasterChef India’. While Manav prepares a savoury dish called ‘Kaala Kand’, Priyanka makes a dessert, ‘Pink Passion’.

Talking about his experience Manav said: “It was an exciting moment for me to step into the ‘MasterChef’ kitchen. The challenge was tough, but I enjoyed every moment of it. I was actually initially nervous going against Priyanka because she was playing to her strengths, and I am no ‘Dessert King’. I am better at making savoury food and that is what I focused on.”

Priyanka, who is a home cook and has no professional experience added that she was nervous to compete with a professional chef at Gaa restaurant.

She shared: “I was scared but there was a sense of excitement as well because this is an opportunity to compete against a highly...

Powerhouse Banijay Iberia is joining forces with Spain’s top soccer federation Laliga to launch new sports-related content production, Laliga Studios.

The strategic deal sees Banijay tapping into its production expertise and Laliga, its soccer knowledge and reputation, in a drive to establish Laliga Studios as a global benchmark in the creation of content related to sport and its universal values.

Through this partnership, Laliga Studios will produce audiovisual content for Laliga, clubs, sponsors, and broadcasters. It will also work with international platforms and brands in the development, production, and distribution of entertainment, documentary, fiction, and animation content.

Chalo Bonifacino Cooke has been appointed managing director and executive producer of Laliga Studios and will oversee its international growth, which will be boosted thanks to the presence of both companies in multiple markets.

Laliga is “a great generator of narratives around sport and its values. We are eager to use our...

London, UK, Monday 13th February – Audio entertainment platform and podcast production studio Podimo has announced 20+ new podcasts made in partnership with leading UK production companies Listen, Mags Creative, Message Heard, TellTale Industries, Tortoise, Vespucci and What’s The Story Sounds.

Founded in 2019, Podimo has become the fastest growing podcast subscription service in Europe, growing 5x Year-on-Year. The app is currently available in Denmark, Norway, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Finland, and across Latin America, and is expanding to more countries soon.

Podimo creates original content that can travel, amplifying the voices of creators from around the world, and has seen translation success across multiple markets with popular and award-winning shows like Forgotten: Women of Juárez and Murder In the North. Its previous productions in the UK include the chart-topping and award-nominated podcast The Missing hosted by Pandora Sykes, You Don’t Know Me with Chloe Combi and Letters From A Killer with Sky Studios’ Transistor Films.

Midway through the very first episode of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, the 2004 restaurant docuseries starring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, the mercurial cook’s unusually calm voiceover pauses a moment. Ramsay is considering a change in approach to reach Tim, the uninspired 21-year-old chef of Bonapartes in West Yorkshire.

“Maybe it’s me,” Ramsay muses. “I should try the ‘softly softly’ approach.”

Ramsay does opt for the “softly softly” approach, operating slightly more gently with Tim than his usual bombastic bouts of yelling. Ultimately the strategy is unsuccessful. After one night of success, Tim falls back into bad habits at episode’s end and Bonapartes would close within a year … leading to its owner Sue pursuing an unsuccessful lawsuit against Ramsay, alleging that production staged portions of the episode. Ramsay was awarded £75,000 plus court costs.

That bit of behind-the-scenes drama may sound familiar to casual American TV watchers who know Gordon Ramsay from his intense,...

Sharon Levy has been elevated to chief executive officer of Endemol Shine North America, the Banijay-owned studio behind the Emmy Award-nominated “Lego Masters,” “MasterChef,” “Wipeout” and upcoming Showtime series “Ripley,” starring Andrew Scott.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Ben Samek, CEO of Banijay Americas, as Endemol shifts from being a holding company to an independent production studio alongside the nine other Banijay-owned studios.

In her new role, Levy, who previously served as chief content officer since 2021, will manage all aspects of the business and its growth. She will also continue to lead all of the studio’s unscripted and scripted programming efforts from the company’s North Hollywood headquarters.

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“Sharon is one of the most strategic executives in the business, someone whose creative vision is matched only by her market savvy,” Samek said in a statement.

The changes at Banijay Americas continue, with Sharon Levy tapped as the new CEO of Endemol Shine North America.

The elevation of Levy, who was most recently chief content officer, comes after Ben Samek took over Banijay Americas as CEO on Feb. 7.

Samek, in a memo to staff Thursday, also outlined a reorganization of the company. Historically Esna has operated as both Banijay’s holding company in North America and as a production studio. Samek said Thursday that going forward, Esna will be reconstituted exclusively as a production studio, alongside Banijay Americas’ other studios.

“Reconstituting Esna as a pure production studio that lives alongside the nine other studios that form Banijay Americas, each with its own leadership and goals, will afford us the opportunity to work more collaboratively and efficiently and represent ourselves more clearly to our industry partners,” Samek said.

Banijay Americas’ other studios include Bunim Murray Productions, Authentic Entertainment,...

Endemol Shine North America is making some changes at the top.

Sharon Levy has been promoted from Chief Content Officer to Chief Executive Officer as the company segues into becoming a standalone production company.

Endemol Shine North America was previously both a production division and the holding company for a number of production divisions across the group. Following Banijay’s acquisition of Endemol Shine, the company created Banijay Americas to house all of its ten production studios, run by new CEO Ben Samek.

As part of the changes, Levy has been upped to oversee all aspects of Endemol Shine North America’s business, which includes both unscripted and scripted series including Lego Masters, MasterChef, Wipeout and upcoming drama series Ripley.

Levy joined Endemol Shine North America in 2017 as President, Unscripted and Scripted TV. She was previously EVP, Original Series at Spike TV.

Banijay Americas is now comprised of ten production...

There’s a new CEO at Banijay Americas.

Ben Samek has been named chief executive of the European media giant’s North American and South American businesses, which includes a number of production companies that are powerhouse players in the unscripted TV space.

With Samek’s elevation, current Banijay Americas CEO Cris Abrego will shift to a new role as chairman of the Americas for Banijay, focusing on new ventures and acquisitions. Abrego says the change has been in the works since 2020 when Bainjay acquired Endemol Shine North America.

“While freedom from the day-to-day job of CEO will allow me to devote my energy more fully to other pursuits, I assure all of you, I have no intention of slowing down, or even taking a break,” Abrego wrote to Banijay Americas employees in a memo Tuesday. “For me, this change means that I will have the time to focus on...

Banijay Americas is undergoing a leadership transition as Cris Abrego hands the CEO reins to Ben Samek as he shifts focus to business development and acquisitions for the Banijay Group unit focused on production for North and South America.

Abrego has served as chairman of Banijay Americas and president and CEO of the Endemol Shine imprint since November 2020. With the restructure, Samek will become CEO of Banijay Americas. He had been president and chief operating officer of Banijay Americas since 2018. The Paris-based Banijay Group conglom acquired Endemol Shine in July 2020, a deal that followed on the heels of Disney’s 2019 acquistion of 21st Century Fox, which previously owned Endemol Shine.

Abrego and Samek have worked together for years. Samek was previously COO at Abrego’s 51 Minds production banner, which Abrego sold to Endemol in 2008.

“When I decided to step down as CEO, I knew Ben was the ideal person to...

There’s a change at the top of Banijay’s Americas operation.

The company, which houses a slew of production companies that make shows including Fox’s MasterChef and Amazon’s Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, has promoted Ben Samek to CEO as Cris Abrego moves out of that role but remaining as Chairman.

It comes as Banijay Americas officially becomes the holding company that oversees the group’s ten production companies in North and South America, which includes Bunim/Murray Productions, Truly Original and 51 Minds Entertainment.

Samek, who was previously President and COO becomes CEO, Banijay Americas with Abrego staying on as Chairman of the Americas.

Abrego will now focus on acquisitions and new business ventures.

Samek joined Endemol USA in 2014 as COO and transitioned to COO of Endemol Shine North America in 2015. Promoted to President and COO for Endemol Shine North America in January...

Fox Corp.’s Fox Entertainment and Disney’s Hulu announced a multiyear content deal renewal, encompassing in-season streaming rights for Fox’s primetime shows.

The pact also includes “an extensive multiplatform strategic marketing alliance,” the companies said. That will feature joint Fox and Hulu branding across all Fox-owned and “external marketing touchpoints” to “align live and on-demand viewing messaging of Fox content.”

Under the terms of the agreement, all Fox primetime entertainment programming — including “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” 9-1-1,” “The Cleaning Lady,” “The Masked Singer” and “Next Level Chef” — will continue to stream on Hulu the next day following linear telecast. The renewal comes after after Fox Entertainment and Hulu entered into a program output deal, announced last February, which lets Hulu stream all out-of-season episodes of key Fox unscripted and animated programs.

The deal solidifies Hulu as Fox’s primary subscription-streaming outlet, as Fox Corp. does not have a...

Fox Entertainment and Hulu have reached a multi-year content partnership which includes continued in-season streaming rights for Fox’s expansive programming slate and an extensive multi-platform strategic marketing alliance, the companies announced Monday.

Under the terms of the agreement, all Fox primetime entertainment programming – ranging from “Family Guy” and “The Cleaning Lady” to “The Masked Singer” and “Next Level Chef” – will continue to stream on Hulu the next day following its linear telecast. Additionally, the deal includes a major alliance, whereby Fox and Hulu branding will jointly share presence across all Fox-owned and external marketing touchpoints to align live and on-demand viewing messaging of Fox content.

“Our long-standing, valued partnership with Hulu consistently generates impressive results and creates an important pathway for our scripted, unscripted and animated series to maximize viewer reach,” Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade said in a statement. “Under this new deal, Fox solidifies its longer-term streaming strategy,...

Public relations veteran Joe Schlosser is leaving his position at Endemol Shine/Banijay to launch his own communications firm.

Schlosser has spent 11 years with the company, most recently as executive vp communications at Banijay Americas. He’ll be consulting with the company and handling communications chores for Banijay-owned Bunim/Murray Productions. Jaycee Medina, vp marketing/communications will continue handling internal communication efforts during the transition.

As exec vp at the TV production company, Schlosser oversaw all corporate, consumer and internal communications across North America and Latin America and led all talent relations, awards and events coordination. He also oversaw communications efforts for nine different production labels, including Endemol Shine North America, Bunim/Murray Productions, Authentic Entertainment, Truly Original, 51 Minds Entertainment and Steven David Entertainment.

Shows under his purview included Big Brother, MasterChef, Lego Masters, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of Dubai, The Real World Homecoming: Los Angeles and Below Deck.

Joe Schlosser is exiting Endemol Shine North America/Banijay Americas after nearly 11 years heading up communications for the production company. As part of the transition, Schlosser will continue to consult for Banijay Americas and also handle communications for Banijay-owned Bunim/Murray Productions, as he explores opening his own shingle.

That means Schlosser will continue to help communications efforts for Endemol Shine/Banijay in collaboration with Jaycee Medina, who continues internally with the company.

Schlosser is a well-liked and respected figure who had served as exec VP of communications for Banijay Americas since October 2021. That meant Schlosser handled corporate, consumer and internal communications for Banijay’s North America and Latin America operations, and also led talent relations, awards and events coordination.

Schlosser’s comms oversight have included Banijay labels Endemol Shine North America, Bunim/Murray Productions, Authentic Entertainment, Truly Original, 51 Minds Entertainment and Steven David Entertainment, as well as Endemol Shine Latino,...

Joe Schlosser, who is EVP, Communications at Banijay Americas, is leaving the company and its various iterations after more than a decade.

The veteran comms chief is set to open his own communications shingle and will still work with a number of areas of the Banijay business.

Chelsea fan Schlosser joined Shine America as SVP, Communications in 2012 before becoming SVP, Communications for Endemol Shine North America after the merger with the Big Brother owner.

He was promoted to EVP, Communications at Banijay Americas in October 2021 after the French media group acquired Endemol Shine.

During his time there, he has overseen publicity for shows such as CBS’ Big Brother, Fox’s MasterChef, TBS’ Wipeout as well as Bravo’s Below Deck and a number of The Real Housewives shows.

He has also been in charge of all corporate, consumer and internal communications across North America and Latin America for Banijay.

Schlosser...

International production giant Banijay continues to gobble up independent production companies, on Thursday unveiling that it has taken a majority stake in jonnydepony, a boutique TV outfit in Belgium.

Banijay Benelux, which produces such local series as hit soap opera Familie, will fold jonnydepony into its scripted operations.

Set up by Philippe De Schepper in 2015, jonnydepony specializes in high-end drama series, often set up as European co-productions. Recent successes include Finnish-Belgian crime series Transport from Finnish showrunner Auli Mantila, which looks at the underground world of illegal horse smuggling; and the terrorist thriller Blackout, which imagines an attack on a nuclear power plant that plunges all of Belgium into darkness.

Upcoming projects include the high-concept drama Arcadia, a co-production with Dutch TV group Big Blue, which is set in a near-future world where one’s social status is determined by an algorithmic Citizen Score designed to ensure social compliance.

Helen Perquy,...

‘Remarkable Places To Eat’ Moves From BBC To Channel 4

Fred Sirieix-hosted Remarkable Places to Eat has moved from the BBC to Channel 4. In a move that has become more commonplace in recent years, Channel 4 has commissioned the third season of Outline Productions’ format, which has been partly funded by Italian beer brand Birrificio Angelo Poretti. In Remarkable Places to Eat, British chefs and restaurateurs take First Dates host Sirieix to a city in the UK or abroad that is home to three of the restaurants where they most love to eat. The likes of Michel Roux Jr, Nisha Katona, Rachel Khoo, Angela Hartnett and Nadiya Hussein have all featured in the past, for the show that has been running on BBC Two and iPlayer since 2019. Past series have now been removed from BBC iPlayer and All3Media International is distributor. “I am delighted that this brilliant show will find...

Syeda Irtizaali, portfolio editor for BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, has been promoted as editor for unscripted commissioning.

Irtizaali will work closely with director of unscripted Kate Phillips to drive a new editorial strategy for all genres in unscripted, liaising with the senior heads of commissioning and the portfolio teams to deliver an “aspirational, modern and collaborative slate of programming with maximum audience impact,” according to an internal email from Phillips seen by Variety.

Irtizaali started her career as a journalist with BBC news and went on to work as a producer and executive producer in entertainment and factual entertainment across several independent production companies including Monkey, Planet 24, Diverse, At It and Brighter. She had a stint as a commissioning editor for entertainment at Channel 4 and was responsible for commissioning hits such as “Alan Carr: Chatty Man,” “The Million Pound Drop,” “The Big Narstie Show,...

Exclusive: Banijay has pulled the curtain back on its earnings for the first time since its 2.2B takeover of Endemol Shine Group and going public.

The world’s largest independent television production group forecast that its revenue will reach €3B (3.2B) for the full year of 2022, though this figure remains unaudited.

Banijay sales for the first nine months of 2022 stood at €2.1B (2.26B), which rose nearly 18 from €1.8B over the same period in 2021.

The Survivor, MasterChef and Sas Rogue Heroes producer’s adjusted Ebitda was €297M (319M) between January and September, up 23.4 from €240.8M (259M) the previous year.

The earnings were disclosed in an investor presentation published this week by Banijay’s parent company Fl Entertainment Group, which is listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange.

Banijay accounted for the majority of Fl Entertainment’s total income of €2.7B (2.9B) in the first nine months of 2022. Ebitda was €446.4M (480M). The...

Tokyo-based global advertising giant Hakuhodo Inc. has acquired a majority stake in leading Indian brand and entertainment agency group, Ma&th (Marching Ants & Trigger Happy) Entertainment Network Private Limited.

Headquartered in Mumbai, the Cannes Lions-winning Ma&th group primarily services clients involved in content creation including film producers, studios, streaming platforms, broadcast companies and international brands.

Theatrically released films that the outfit has worked on include S.S. Rajamouli’s “Baahubali: The Beginning,” Rajkumar Hirani’s “3 idiots” and “Pk,” both starring Aamir Khan, and “Sanju,” starring Ranbir Kapoor, “Uri: The Surgical Strike,” produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” Farah Khan’s “Om Shanti Om,” starring Shah Rukh Khan and Zoya Akhtar’s “Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara,” starring Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar.

The company has also created campaigns for Netflix’s “Delhi Crime” and “Ak vs Ak,” Amazon Prime Video’s “The Family Man” and “Mirzapur” and...

Lord Sugar has laid into Gordon Ramsay, accusing the celebrity chef’s Future Food Stars show of ripping off his business competition series The Apprentice.

Sugar, who has sat at the top the boardroom table on BBC One’s The Apprentice since 2005, told the DailyMail Online that restauranteur and broadcaster Ramsay should “stick to the day job” in an attack on Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars, whose second season launches on the same channel later this year.

“Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV have tried for many years — at least for 17 years — to try and replicate the elimination process of The Apprentice,” he said. “I say this with great respect to them but they’ve failed. Last year, Gordon Ramsay had some cockamamie idea.

“I like Gordon and I think he’s very good and should stick to what he should do: cooking and all that stuff. I don...

Chef Vikas Khanna was impressed with the taste of the Gujarati patra prepared by a 78-year-old Urmila Asher from Mumbai.

He said: “In our country, food is a festival to be celebrated, that makes bonds stronger, brings friends closer and binds families together.”

He added that the dish speaks of her experience. She replied: “I have come to ‘MasterChef India’ because I had the desire to participate in the show and become MasterChef.”

Later, another contestant, Shubhojeet from Kolkata expressed his desire to be a chef rather than an engineer. He shared: “People say you have done engineering but tease me about my cooking skills.”

To this, Ranveer Brar said: “Tell those people that you have removed ‘engine’ from ‘engineering’ and added ‘cook’. I am a ‘cookgineer’.”

From Assam, Santa Sarmah also shared about turning her necessity into her passion. “I have cooked for 8 years and what was a necessity...

Banijay Takes Full Control Of Beyond And Prepares For Rebrand

Banijay has taken full control of Mythbusters firm Beyond International and intends to rename and rebrand the Australian outfit as the “necessary integration process” kicks off. The circa-30M acquisition was first revealed in October last year, giving the acquisitive French powerhouse control of an 8,000-hour catalog including factual hits such as Highway Thru Hell, Heavy Rescue: 401, Massive Engineering Mistakes, Halifax: Retribution and Deadly Women. The move leaves distributor Banijay Rights, which shops the likes of MasterChef and Big Brother, with a circa-130,000 hour catalog. Today, Banijay took full control and a spokeswoman said the intention is that “[Beyond’s] distribution activities will fall under Banijay Rights’ name.” The acquisition was carried out via a Scheme Implementation Deed which, once implemented, means Beyond ceases to be publicly traded. Beyond Managing Director and CEO Mikael Borglund is remaining in his current role. Banijay...