Channel 4 in the UK is continuing to rebuild its comedy department by hiring a producer of hit series Catastrophe as a commissioning editor.

The network’s new head of comedy Fiona McDermott has announced the appointment of Jack Bayles as commissioning editor. He will join the channel in April.

The news follows the departures of head of comedy Phil Clarke and deputy head of comedy Nerys Evans a week ago ^[1].

McDermott was promoted from commissioning editor to replace Clarke, having joined the channel in 2011, and has now added Bayles to her team.

Bayles produced all three seasons of Catastrophe, with stars Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney as an ill-matched couple.

McDermott said: “Having just produced three seasons of one of the most critically acclaimed shows in recent years, there are few people as qualified as Jack to bring his editorial eye to C4 comedy. It’s nothing short of a coup to get him to jump sides and work with us here.”

Bayles began his career working on shows including Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Baddiel & Skinner’s Fantasy Football. He started collaborating with Russell Brand in 2006 working on stand-up, radio and television, as well as two seasons of Bafta-nominated Ponderland.

He linked up with Morgana Robinson and Terry Mynott in 2011 and worked on series including Very Important People and The Mimic.

The recruitment process for a second commissioning editor vacancy in the C4 comedy department is continuing.

Nerys Evans, meanwhile, resurfaced yesterday ^[2] at Expectation, the new prodco set up by former ITV controller Peter Fincham and former Endemol Shine chief Tim Hincks.