Rare TV to appoint new CEO in 2025 as Alexander Gardiner steps down
Rare TV CEO Alexander Gardiner is to step down from his role to become non-executive chair in a move to prioritise his health and family.
Alexander Gardiner
Gardiner will take over the role from current chair Graham Coxell, who will retain a seat on the board of the independent documentary, factual and formats producer as investor non-executive director.
Rare TV, producer of shows such as Extreme Airport Africa, Futureville Ireland, Expert Witness and Digging for Britain, is set to appoint a new CEO in early 2025.
Gardiner joined Rare TV in 2019 from Channel 4, where he served as consultant commissioning editor, taking over from Antony Fraser, who co-founded the company in 2013.
Prior to this, Gardiner was managing director of ITV Studios-owned indie Shiver (now MultiStory Media), which he helped to transform into a creative powerhouse with production hubs in London, Leeds and Manchester. Gardiner also served as creative director for the Factual North arm of ITV Studios.
Over the course of his career, Gardiner has won two BAFTAs, five Royal Television Society Awards and a Peabody Award.
His numerous credits include co-executive producing the first season of reality juggernaut I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, spearheading the first-ever UK political party Leaders’ Debate in 2010, launching ITV’s flagship political show Peston on Sunday in 2016 and overseeing the seismic Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile, which sparked a major police investigation and plunged the BBC into turmoil.
Under Gardiner’s tenure, Rare TV has recruited Fernando de Jesus as creative director; writer, story consultant and executive producer Greg Chivers, who was last year appointed to the newly created role of US showrunner; and development producer Abigail Keyes, who works in its Belfast-based team.
Gardiner said: “My career so far has been a rollercoaster ride, working with great people in exciting locations on fascinating projects. I can’t think of anything that offers the rich variety that working in television provides.
“It’s been a tough decision to step down as CEO of Rare TV but I leave behind a great team and an industry facing multiple challenges. While I remain optimistic about the future, I do worry about the fragile economy for freelancers. When hugely talented and experienced producers and directors are reduced to working as Ocado delivery drivers, how can we hope to attract the brightest and the best into television?”
Coxell said: “Under Alex’s leadership, Rare is a company transformed at every level, whether it’s through our culture, where we all feel valued and treated with respect, our growth having doubled in size, or to the quality and quantity of what we produce – our slate and order book are greater than ever. His health and happiness are the priority of course but the fact that he has agreed to stay on as our chair, with a new CEO incoming whilst I take on the role of Investor Non-Executive Director – this way we have the best of all worlds.”
