Lime Pictures Unscripted Boss Sarah Tyekiff Exiting As ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ Indie Restructures

Max Goldbart
·2 min read
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Lime Pictures Head of Unscripted Sarah Tyekiff is exiting as the Only Way is Essex indie forges a new popular factual division with All3Media stablemates Lion Television and Wise Owl Films.

A Chief Creative Officer, Unscripted, will be hired to head up the division imminently.

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After five years overseeing the likes of TOWIE, Geordie Shore, Netflix format Dance Monsters and ABC’s Who Do You Believe?, Tyekiff is leaving to launch her own production outfit. The former ITV Studios exec’s past credits include I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Love Island.

Lime Creative Director, Unscripted, Rebecca Kenny-Smith, whose past credits include MasterChef and The Island, has been promoted to Director of Programing, Unscripted for the new division.

Lime Co-CEOs Kate Little and Claire Poyser wished Tyekiff “every success as she leaves Lime to fulfil a longheld ambition,” while Tyekiff said she has been on a “fantastic journey over the last five years having developed and produced some amazing shows across the UK and U.S.”

Little and Poyser described the restructure as the “next stage of growth across our current programs and a consolidated, dynamic focus on our development pipeline,” adding: “It enables the company to draw on the depth and breadth of experience and reputation across our labels as we look to create the next generation of globally relevant formats.”

Lion exits and promotions

As part of the restructure, Horrible Histories and Sexy Beasts producer Lion TV, which had its back office subsumed by Lime in 2019, will focus solely on specialist, premium factual and kids TV.

Creative Director Emma Morgan, who joined Lion in 2019, is departing next month, with Lion Chief Creative Officer Richard Bradley praising her “creativity, knowledge of the industry and wisdom.” Jonathan Meenagh, who joined in late 2021 to help with a formats push Stateside, is also exiting alongside Executive Producer Anna Abenson.

Lion’s Tom Watt-Smith, who was hired at the same time as Morgan, has been promoted to Creative Director, Specialist and Premium Factual, and he forecasted a “bumper year” for the indie with feature docs with Netflix, the BBC and Channel 4 to come.

Homes under the Hammer producer Lion Scotland remains in operation and Leeds-based Wise Owl Films continues alongside youth-skewing label Hoot. Wise Owl Founder Mark Robinson reports into Little and Poyser.

Finally, Hansen Jacobson partner Nick Dashman has joined as Director, Business and Legal Affairs for Lion, Lime and Wise Owl.

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