Fremantle hires Simon Craig for newly launched Global Originals label

European production group Fremantle has hired unscripted development exec and comedy writer Simon Craig to join its newly-launched Global Originals label.

Simon Craig

The Global Originals unit was announced in late June and is led by Nick Mather, who joined from Wheelhouse Entertainment in the US.

The new label is dedicated to creating original unscripted formats to be produced across Fremantle’s global production network.

Craig takes on the role of executive producer of development and reports to Mather, who is exec VP. The two had previously worked together on formats including Pointless and Golden Balls, which Mather co-created.

“Nick was one of my first development bosses, so I’m rather excited to see if we can recapture some of that Pointless or Golden Balls magic. I certainly have [Golden Balls host] Jasper Carrott’s hairline these days, so halfway there,” Craig joked.

Craig has worked as an unscripted development exec, writer and producer on a freelance basis for companies in the UK and US including Mitre Studios, Optomen Television, Triple Brew Media, Tuesday’s Child and Fremantle US.

He began his career as a development producer at Endemol Shine UK from 2007 to 2010, before taking on the same role at Zeppotron for a further three years. He joined Talkback Productions as a development exec in 2013 and was promoted to head of development the following year, a role he held until 2016.

Craig has worked in development across reality, entertainment, quiz and gameshows and comedy entertainment, and in production on entertainment and gameshows such as Supermarket Sweep, Game of Talents and Match Game.

As a comedy writer, he has written jokes for formats including Would I Lie to You? And The Apprentice: You’re Fired.

In 2021, Craig launched a kids’ nursery rhyme-themed YouTube channel called Silly Billy Toons, which has since expanded into comedy content to help preschoolers learn their ABCs.