BBC One Boss Resigns To Head Talkback Thames

The BBC has confirmed that Lorraine Heggessey, controller of BBC One, is to leave the corporation to become chief executive of independent production company, Talkback Thames.

The move ends Heggessey’s five-year reign at BBC One, where she was responsible for commissioning numerous high-profile hits. Amongst her most successful signings were Blue Planet, Spooks, State of Play and Strictly Come Dancing.

Heggessey will now take charge at Talkback Thames, creators of such shows as Pop Idol, The Bill and I’m Alan Partridge, making programmes for broadcast both on the BBC, and by its commercial rivals.

Commenting on Heggessey’s resignation, BBC chairman, Michael Grade, said: “Lorraine Heggessey will be a very tough act to follow. Controller of BBC One is one of the most demanding jobs at the BBC and achieving the widest reach of audiences through the widest range of programmes isn’t easy. Lorraine has done a very tough job very well and all of us on the Board offer our thanks to her for delivering a first class public service through the schedules of BBC One.”

The Corporation’s director of television, Jana Bennett, was similarly eager to praise the outgoing channel boss. She added: “Lorraine has been a human dynamo in her successful effort to make BBC One the nation’s favourite channel. She has been determined to be ambitious on behalf of the audience – her passionate conviction has been that there was no subject that BBC One could not cover – while being equally determined to give the audience some of the most popular programmes of recent years.”

BBC director general, Mark Thompson, also expressed gratitude for Heggessey’s work. He said: “I said when I appointed her five years ago that Lorraine was a programme maker through and through; someone who had a great knack of recognising an original idea and making it work on screen. During her time at BBC One she has proved that over and over again. Her shoes may be small, but they’ll be hard to fill.”

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk Talkback Thames: 020 7861 8000 www.talkbackthames.tv

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