BBC Studios takes minority stake in Kelly Webb-Lamb’s Mothership Productions

BBC Studios (BBCS) has taken a 25% minority stake in Mothership Productions, the unscripted indie set up by former Channel 4 deputy director of programmes Kelly Webb-Lamb.

Kelly Webb-Lamb

The strategic partnership will see BBCS invest in Mothership’s slate of global formats and ideas of scale across the unscripted genres, which BBCS said will complement the output of its existing portfolio of in-house and indie labels.

Under the deal, financial details of which were not disclosed, BBCS will have first-look global distribution and format rights to the projects.

Webb-Lamb, who was also head of popular factual at C4, set up Mothership Productions this month having left the commercially funded pubcaster last year.

Prior to joining C4 in 2018, she had stints as MD of Shine TV and director of factual at Princess Productions.

The exec has assembled a senior team of female executives to support the business, comprising Charlotte Desai (creative director), Gilly Greenslade (director of programmes), and Gudren Claire (head of production).

Webb-Lamb’s unscripted credits include The Apprentice, Hunted, The Great British Bake-Off, The Island with Bear Grylls, Mary Queen of Charity Shops and The Circle.

In her five years at C4, as well as looking after a large roster of shows including Gogglebox, Naked Attraction, Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, A British Tribe Next Door and Murder Island, Webb-Lamb also developed new and diverse talent, such as Mo Gilligan, Sophie Willan and Yinka Bokinni.

BBCS’s deal with Mothership builds on its existing indie investments, which include full ownership of scripted labels Lookout Point, Baby Cow Productions, House Productions, Clerkenwell Films and Sid Gentle Films.

It also has minority investments in Moonage, Various Artists, Expectation Entertainment, Curve Media, Firebird Pictures and Boffola Pictures, the latter coming via Lookout Point.

The company also represents hundreds of other independent production companies through first-look and distribution deals and said it returned more than £180m (US$210m) to the UK independent production sector in 2021/22 in development funding, rights investment and royalties.

Webb-Lamb said: “The whole Mothership team is delighted to be partnering with BBC Studios and to be joining a brilliant stable of invested indies. We’ve been so impressed with the BBCS team and are really looking forward to working with them. And for some of us, this feels rather like coming home. You can take the girl out of the BBC but she never forgets her staff number, and although this is a totally different kind of arrangement, I am super-glad that this is where Mothership has ended up in terms of partnership.”

Ralph Lee, CEO at BBCS Productions, said: “Kelly is highly sought-after creative leader who has assembled a team around her that has a formidable pedigree in hit shows and formats in a highly competitive field. It is a true testament to their talent and potential that, within only a short period of time, Mothership has developed a slate that is brimming with ideas we believe will appeal to both UK and international broadcasters and platforms.”