Lou Hutchinson and Phil Harris
Fremantle announced that it is acquiring a minority stake in Boldprint Studios, the newly formed production company from former Channel 4 Head of Entertainment, Phil Harris. Boldprint will focus on creating and developing innovative, unscripted formats across reality, entertainment and factual entertainment for domestic and international broadcasters and streaming platforms.
Former Twofour Head of Entertainment, Lou Hutchinson, has been appointed the new company’s Creative Director. Therefore, the investment reunites Fremantle with Harris and Hutchinson, who were both former executives at Thames under Fremantle UK CEO, Amelia Brown.
“Our company blueprint will be built on creating bold, scalable global formats, an ambition which aligns perfectly with Fremantle’s global distribution plans. Talent development on and off screen is key to our strategy, and that begins with Lou, who I am delighted is starting this journey with me. She is an entertainment and reality powerhouse, an exceptional creative leader who has consistently delivered huge scale formats at the highest level,” Phil Harris said.
“Phil and I share two decades of friendship that has spanned reality galleries, complex location shoots, ambitious live shows, and everything in between. I am so excited to build a brilliant team and slate of ideas together,” Lou Hutchinson commented.
Amelia Brown, CEO of Fremantle UK, added: “At Fremantle, we are committed to working with the very best, and Phil and Lou both have incredible passion, talent and commitment to not only creating the next big entertainment formats, but also in nurturing new talent. They have been behind some of the most talked about and cutting-edge shows of recent years and we are thrilled to welcome them back to the Fremantle family and look forward to supporting them in their ambitions for growth.”
In a career spanning over 20 years, Harris has developed and produced some of the UK’s biggest entertainment hits. Prior to starting Boldprint, he oversaw Channel 4’s entertainment and events output. Meanwhile, Lou has been Head of Entertainment at Twofour since 2021, focussing on developing, producing and creating ground-breaking reality and entertainment hits.
As well as working on returning juggernauts like “Big Brother,” “Celebrity Big Brother” and “Gladiators” together, Harris and Hutchinson have launched a number of successful new returning brands including “Celebs Go Dating,” “Eating with My Ex,” “The Greatest Dancer,” and “The Only Way Is Essex” spin-off “The Only Way is Marbs.”
The investment in Boldprint Studios follows a number of acquisitions and step-ups made by Fremantle in recent years, including Belgium-based A Team Productions, UK production company Dancing Ledge Productions, scripted Italian production company Lux Vide, international development and production company Fabel, Australian-American television production company Eureka Productions, Irish production company Element Pictures, 72 Films, Wildstar Films, and Silvio Productions.