Optomen hires Laura Leigh for permanent role, promotes Charlotte Brookes

Laura Leigh (left) and Charlotte Brookes

All3Media-owned prodco Optomen has appointed Laura Leigh to the newly created role of head of reality and promoted Charlotte Brookes to head of factual entertainment.

Leigh, who has exec produced at Optomen since 2022, will take up her new position early next year. She will oversee the company’s slate of reality shows, reporting to joint CEOs Tina Flintoff and Nick Hornby.

Leigh’s exec producing credits at Optomen include At Home with the Furys for Netflix, and Olivia Attwood’s Getting Filthy Rich and The Price of Perfection for ITV.

Outside of Optomen, she was the showrunner for Box to Box Films’ Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen for Netflix and previously series editor on Netflix’s The Circle, Amazon’s Lovestruck High and E4’s Celebs go Dating.

Brookes, meanwhile, is promoted from her current role of head of popular factual. In her expanded role as head of factual entertainment, she will lead on a bigger portfolio of content, concentrating on Optomen’s growing slate of formats.

Flintoff and Hornby said in a joint statement: “We are delighted Laura has agreed to join us on a permanent basis as head of reality. She is incredibly creative, a brilliant storyteller and a gifted showrunner. Next year is going to be another very busy year and we couldn’t be happier to have someone of Laura’s calibre running such an important part of our business.

“Charlotte Brookes has made a huge impact at Optomen over the past five years and her skills and expertise will be an enormous boost in her expanded role.”