In his new role, Wilson will oversee the BBC’s superbrands MasterChef, Hunted and Celebrity Hunted, and Channel 4’s new streaming hit Banged Up.
Patrick Holland, CEO of Banijay UK, appointed Leon Wilson former CEO of Talkback and Thames and co-founder of Great Scott Media, as the new CEO of Shine and Zeppotron. This executive role is responsible for managing Shine, developing and expanding the range of its original intellectual property, and overseeing its established programming.
This announcement comes after Jon Swain, CEO of Shine TV, decided earlier this month to step down at the end of the year. Within his new roles, Wilson will have oversight of BBC superbrands MasterChef, Hunted and Celebrity Hunted, and Channel 4’s new streaming hit, Banged Up.
Leon will work with Creative Director Tim Whitwell, MasterChef Executive Producer David Ambler, and the wider Shine team as the company continues to expand across streamers and broadcasters within factual, reality, and entertainment.
Meanwhile, Zeppotron Managing Directors Ruth Phillips and Peter Holmes will work closely with Leon as they push into the streamer market and establish their exciting new slate of comedy/ents/reality formats to sit alongside their existing much-loved brands, such as BBC One’s Would I Lie to You? and Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
Patrick Holland, CEO of Banijay UK, said of the appointment, “As well as being a brilliant creative, Leon has phenomenal energy, enthusiasm, and insight. I’m so delighted that he’s chosen Banijay for the next chapter of his impressive career, and I know that the teams in Shine and Zeppotron will benefit greatly from his expertise.”
Leon Wilson added, “I can’t wait to start in this new role and work with the talented teams at Shine and Zeppotron. I love prisons, being hunted, eating, lying, and four-fifths of cats… as well as winning new commissions. It’s literally a dream come true.”
Leon was Managing Director of Talkback, followed by Managing Director of a combined Talkback and Thames between 2013 and 2019.
During this time, he consistently grew the business’ turnover. He won a raft of new business, creating, selling, and overseeing shows including Too Hot to Handle (Netflix), Harry’s Heroes: The Full English (ITV1), multiple Leigh Francis projects (Celebrity Juice, Through The Keyhole, and The Keith & Paddy Picture Show), Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow (ITV), Jon Richardson’s Ultimate Worrier (Dave) and Your Face or Mine (Comedy Central).
Most recently, Leon founded Great Scott Media with Ed Sleeman, backed by All3 Media. The indie quickly grew a yearly turnover to £14m, with commissions including Love Trap (C4) and the 10-part Netflix reality series Dated & Related. Earlier in his career, Leon worked on The Graham Norton Show, Dame Edna, Fantasy Football, and The Friday Night Project.
