Australia’s Seven Network promotes Majella Hay to new head of content role

Australia’s Seven Network has reshuffled its content and acquisitions team appointing Majella Hay to the newly created role of director of content, unscripted.

Majella Hay

Hay is a former head of entertainment at ITV and joined Seven as head of entertainment in June 2022.

Reporting to Seven’s chief content officer, Brook Hall, Hay will be driving the creative direction and content of Seven’s unscripted entertainment programs.

She will lead a team including head of reality Sylvia D’Souza, supervising executive producer Digby Mitchell and executive producer Ewa Dobrowolska. Additionally, under her charter Hay will work closely with the Seven sales team to drive new revenue and integration opportunities.

Hay said: “This new role looking after all of Seven’s unscripted content could not have come at a better time. Our production team internally, and the production companies we work with, deliver exceptional shows and results. But we also have a fresh approach, to look at opportunities with our programmes to go beyond what we have done before.”

In June the broadcaster went through network-wide restructure which impacted more than 150 positions.

She added that broadcaster was primed to “think differently” about its content strategy. “It’s about aligning and being smart about how we use our content to continue to entertain but also to benefit all parts of the Seven business.”

In her new position, Hay will also work closely with Seven’s network’s director of production operations Andrew Backwell, director of content, scripted, Julie McGauran and head of production Mandy Roberts.

Her career includes senior roles at Endemol Shine Australia, Nine Network, Network 10 and Southern Star. Hay began her television career as a news and current affairs reporter, presenter and producer working on programs such as Today, A Current Affair, Sunday, RPA and Getaway.

Hay’s production credits include The Voice, Operation Live, Beat The Chasers, This Is Your Life, Shark Tank, Love Island, This Time Next Year, Last Chance Surgery, Embarrassing Bodies Down Under, The Cube and The Great Australian Spelling Bee.