Fremantle is to close group factual indie Label1, citing the need to streamline the business and the challenging economic backdrop. Label1 is best known for BBC documentary series "Hospital" (pictured), which ran for seven series. It also developed factual entertainment formats "The Job Interview" and "Five Guys a Week" and was behind the series, "World Collide: The Manchester Bombing".
Specialising in popular, big-scale factual television, the company was founded in April 2015 under ITV Studios’ in-house production arm Shiver, before establishing itself as an indie in early 2017, the same year that Fremantle first invested in the company.
There are five employees, including Label1 founder, CEO and Head of Programmes Lorraine Charker-Phillips and COO Jo Taylor. Charker-Phillips’ co-founder Simon Dickson left the company a the end of 2022, stating the need for a better work-life balance. Any projects or returning series will be supported by the existing Fremantle UK portfolio.
Amelia Brown, CEO, Fremantle UK offered an explanation for the reasons behind the closure: “As part of our ongoing strategic planning, we are continuously reviewing measures necessary for creating a more effective, coordinated and streamlined approach to ensure we are in the best position for future success and growth. As our industry pivots into a new world we, as content makers, must evolve to meet these changes and, while the industry navigates a challenging economic backdrop that is being felt by many, we remain committed to adapting for continued success. With this in mind, we have made the difficult decision to close Label1. I want to take this time to thank Lorraine, Jo and the team, who are all exceptional creatives and who, over the years, have brought incredible storytelling to our screens. We wish them all the very best for the future," stated.
On her part, Lorraine Charker-Phillips, CEO and Head of Programmes, Label1 thanked the teams involved in the development of the Label: “Thank you to all the brilliant creatives and production teams that have been part of Label1 over the last seven years; the contributors who shared their stories and let us into their worlds; and those that trusted us with exceptional access. We believed in making programmes with authentic and creative storytelling at their heart; delivering stories that went beyond the headlines, entertaining our audiences, and growing new talent who we hope will continue to have creative opportunities despite this challenging TV landscape," noted.