OMG names duo to head Objective Entertainment as creative directors exit

Neale Simpson and Helen Cooke

All3Media-owned Objective Media Group (OMG) has folded its UK labels Betty TV and Triple Brew Media into one “powerhouse” unscripted outfit called Objective Entertainment, with three creative directors leaving.

Betty TV’s David Harrison and Triple Brew’s Ed de Burgh and Becca Walker have all left OMG. Objective Entertainment will be led by former Upstream exec Neale Simpson as MD, while Helen Cooke becomes creative director, the same role she held at Betty TV.

OMG’s restructuring of its unscripted operations will bring together the production slates and programming of factual formats-skewing Betty TV and entertainment label Triple Brew. Simpson and Cooke said Objective will create the next generation of feel-good “channel-defining” formats.

Simpson joins in July from Upstream, the factual entertainment prodco launched by Fremantle-owned Thames in the summer of 2022, where he was creative director.

At Upstream, he led the development and commission of E4’s Big Celebrity Detox and the reality format Battle Camp for Netflix. Prior to that, he spent more than a decade at Banijay, including as the creative director of Fizz and RDF TV, where he led on development and operations and exec produced series across both labels.

His credits at Banijay included ITV’s Tipping Point, BBC Two’s Lightning, E4’s Shipwrecked, BBC Three’s Fight Dirty, ITV’s Craig & Bruno’s Great British Drives, and The Crystal Maze for Channel 4 and Nickelodeon in the US.

Cooke served as joint creative director at London-based Betty TV, where she led on series including Naked Education and The Truth About the Skinny Jab for Channel 4, Fred’s Last Resort for E4 and Gino’s Italy for ITV.

She previously headed non-scripted at Crackit and popular factual at Studio Ramsay and was also commissioning executive for features at Channel 4. She starts her new role with immediate effect.

With Betty TV and Triple Brew now consoliated, creative directors Harrison, de Burgh and Walker have left OMG. Harrison was responsible for Discovery format Wheeler Dealers as well as E4 format Fred’s Last Resort.

Under de Burgh and Walker, Triple Brew produced Lingo for both ITV and CBS in the US and Picture Slam for BBC One.

Layla Smith, CEO of OMG, said: “I have long been an admirer of Neale’s creative energy and consider OMG lucky to welcome him to the business. We are so excited to begin a new chapter with Neale and Helen at the helm of Objective Entertainment.

“I would like to thank Becca, Ed and Dave for their fantastic contribution to the company; we wish them every success in the future.”

Simpson said: “The creation of Objective Entertainment is an ambitious statement of intent to develop and produce the next generation of channel-defining formats in the UK and internationally.”

Cooke said: “We have a simple plan: to entertain. With some incredible paid development ideas in the pipeline for US and UK networks, I cannot wait to collaborate with Neale in creating a fresh slate of feel-good formats.”