The investment continues BBC Studios’ strategy of backing the best creative talent and investing in new formats for its’ global production network.
Most recently Head of Unscripted at Lime Pictures, Tyekiff ran the UK and US slate, pitching to buyers globally. As well as maintaining and refreshing long-running brands including TOWIE, Geordie Shore and Celebs Go Dating, she developed and produced a number of new formats including Dance Monsters (Netflix), Stand Up and Deliver (Channel 4) and Who Do You Believe (ABC).
Prior to Lime Pictures, Tyekiff was an Executive Producer at ITV, working across big brands including Hell’s Kitchen and the re-launch of Saturday Night Take Away. She grew the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! brand, with her last season hitting 13 million viewers. Notably, she was the driver behind Love Island, developing, casting and producing Series 1, 2 and 3, winning a BAFTA and bringing the show into the mainstream. She also developed Red or Black, Simon Cowell’s £1 million gameshow, co-producing with Ant and Dec.
Shaun Parry, previously Youngest Media Chief Creative Officer and with stints at Electric Ray and Endemol Shine, joins Mettlemouse Entertainment as Creative Director. His credits include BAFTA nominated Moneybags (Channel 4), Million Pound Menu (BBC Two) and reality show Bromans (ITV2). At Endemol Shine, he co-created BBC One’s award-winning hit quiz show Pointless and ITV2’s Almost Impossible Gameshow.
On announcing the investment, Emma Hardie, Commercial Director, International Production and Formats, BBC Studios, said: “Sarah has been behind some of the UK’s most successful entertainment and primetime reality formats. She is building a formidable team around her and we are delighted to be partnering with Mettlemouse Entertainment to bring their exciting, creative ideas to UK and global audiences.”
Matt Forde, Managing Director, International Production and Formats, BBC Studios, said: “We look forward to partnering with Sarah who has proven success in the US as well as the UK and we could not be happier to be working with Shaun again. Their creative direction and ambition strongly aligns with BBC Studios in creating the next generation of Unscripted formats.”
Sarah Tyekiff added: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with BBC Studios. With their track record of managing international hits they’re the perfect fit to supercharge our new adventure both here in the UK and globally.”
Under the terms of the agreement, BBC Studios will have a first look on global distribution and format rights.
The investment complements BBC Studios’ portfolio of Production Units, Labels and Invested Indies includes award-winning Entertainment Productions (Strictly Come Dancing, Eurovision), Factual Entertainment Productions (The Unique Boutique, Hungry For It) and International Production (Life Below Zero) as well as newly acquired Production Label Voltage TV (Inside the Factory, Amanda and Alan’s Italian Job) led by Sanjay Singhal and Steve Nam, its minority stakes in Expectation Entertainment (This Is My House, The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan) and Kelly Webb-Lamb’s new factual entertainment indie Mothership TV (Around the World in Eighty Weighs).
BBC Studios invested in five independent production companies in 2022 and now has 14 Production Labels and Invested Indies. BBC Studios also represents hundreds of other independent production companies through first-look and distribution deals and returned nearly £180m to the UK independent production sector in 2022/2023 in development funding, rights investment and royalties.
