Label1 Co-Founder Simon Dickson Stepping Down

Simon Dickson, co-founder and joint CEO of Label1, is stepping down from the production company he helped set up in 2015.

Dickson will exit the company in 2023, continuing to work as a consultant executive producer on key projects to ensure a smooth transition.

Co-founder Lorraine Charker-Phillips will assume Dickson’s other responsibilities, supported by Label1 COO Jo Taylor.

Fremantle will retain a controlling stake in the company, having increased its shareholding in 2021. Charker-Phillips and Taylor will both report into Fremantle UK CEO Simon Andreae.

Dickson said: “It might sound like a bit of a cliché but after going hard at it for more than three decades at the BBC, then Channel Four, then Dragonfly, and most recently Label1, the 2020 lockdown was a bit of a wake-up call. I came to the realization that after 30 years of soaring highs and crashing lows, there might be a way forward that wasn’t all late nights and adrenaline. I concluded that I didn’t have a particularly good work-life balance, so I decided to do something about it.

“Setting up my own business with Lorraine and Jo has been the most exciting and enjoyable period of my career. They will thrive without me because they are both brilliant, and they have the support of our backers Fremantle UK who are just the best.”

Charker-Phillips said: “Simon has been a brilliant creative partner to work alongside over the last seven years. He has helped drive Label1 to create content that Fremantle and our teams are incredibly proud of, and he will be missed by all of us.”

Andreae said: “Simon is a creative force who, alongside Lorraine, has turned Label1 into a powerful and distinctive brand known for their creative thinking and exceptionally high-quality programming. Together, they have grown a thriving team and produced some of the best non-scripted shows in recent years. Whilst we are very sorry to see him go, we all wish him every success in his next chapter.”