BBC’s Connock joins ITV Studios

ITV Studios in the UK has poached the BBC’s commissioning editor of daytime, Sumi Connock, as head of entertainment at its Manchester base.

Reporting to Claire Horton, controller of entertainment at ITV Studios, Connock will be responsible for all entertainment output from Manchester.

The department is responsible for a raft of entertainment programmes including You’ve Been Framed, Animals Do The Funniest Things, University Challenge, Britannia High Live Final, The Book Quiz and several major entertainment television events, such as the recently filmed Take That Show – Take That Come to Town.

Connock’s BBC commissioning editor credits include Strictly: It Takes Two, Are You an Egghead?, Eggheads, Battle of the Brains, Living in the Sun and Let Me Entertain You. She has also worked as assistant director of programmes at MTV.

Last week, ITV announced it had also poached another BBC entertainment exec, veteran Elaine Bedell, to become director of entertainment and comedy.