BBC Studios has taken 25% of The Only Way is Essex and Geordie Shore exec Sarah Tyekiff’s new indie, Mettlemouse Entertainment.
Tyekiff recently exited TOWIE producer Lime Pictures, where she ran the UK and U.S. slates, and has now re-emerged with Mettlemouse. Former Youngest Media Chief Creative Officer Shaun Parry is joining her as Creative Director.
For the BBC’s production and commercial arm, the investment is the latest in an aggressive series of moves that includes buying Swedish producer STV, taking stakes in the likes of Simon Shalgosky’s Rebel Rebel Pictures and Small Axe producer Turbine Studios and assuming full control of Voltage TV.
The investment gives BBC Studios a first look at global distribution and format rights from Mettlemouse’s slate. “With BBC Studios’ track record of managing international hits they’re the perfect fit to supercharge our new adventure both here in the UK and globally,” said Tyekiff.
She and Parry plan to work up unscripted formats. Her credits at Lime include ITV2 constructed reality hit TOWIE and MTV’s Geordie Shore, along with Celebs Go Dating and Netflix’s Dance Monsters, Channel 4’s Stand Up and Deliver and ABC’s Who Do You Believe, the latter three of which she developed and produced. Before that, she was an exec producer at ITV Studios where she worked on Hell’s Kitchen, Saturday Night Take Away and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. She also developed Simon Cowell format Red or Black.
She left her Chief Creative Officer, Unscripted role at Lime in January after five years.
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.”
Parry is know as the co-creator of British game show Pointless and counts spell at Electric Ray and Endemol Shine Group on his CV, working on shows such as Moneybags, Million Pound Menu and Bromans.
Matt Forde, Managing Director, International Production and Formats, BBC Studios, added: “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.”
BBC Studios invested in five companies in 2022 and now has 14 production labels and invested Indies. It returned nearly £180M ($231M) to the indie production sector through investment, development funding and royalties.
The BBC is due to release its annual report today.