ITV Studios to launch new formats label with Lily Wilson and Tom Williams

Lily Wilson, left, and Tom Williams

ITV Studios is to launch a new label focused on scalable entertainment and competitive formats led by ITV commissioner Lily Wilson as MD and TalkbackThames’ Tom Williams as creative director.

Wilson and Williams will join ITVS to launch the as-yet-untitled label in January next year, reporting into Tim Carter, MD of unscripted for the UK at ITV Studios.

ITVS says the new arm will offer “ambitious, primetime, premium, eye-catching formats” and its focus will be on developing “brand-defining, returning entertainment shows in response to a growing global market need”.

The label will become the new home for the Potato team, as well as Potato’s and 12 Yard’s portfolio of quiz shows and catalogue.

Wilson joins from her role as commissioning editor for entertainment at ITV, a post she has held for the past six years. She was responsible for shows including Britain’s Got Talent, The Voice, Saturday Night Takeaway and The Brit Awards. Prior to commissioning, Wilson produced a wide variety of entertainment shows such as I’m A Celebrity, Love Island, Britain’s Got Talent and The Jump.

Williams, who has developed shows from The Million Pound Drop (C4) to Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream (ITV), moves from TalkbackThames where he held the position of creative director, responsible for creating shows including Battle Camp (Netflix) and The Big Celebrity Detox (E4).

Prior to joining TalkbackThames, he was at Banijay label Remarkable, where he helped develop Starstruck (ITV) alongside helping bring NBC’s The Wall and a reboot of Ready Steady Cook to the BBC.

The label will produce from bases in London and Glasgow.