Channel 4 Alum Kelly Webb-Lamb Sets Up Indie

Kelly Webb-Lamb, former deputy director of programs and head of popular factual at Channel 4, has launched Mothership Productions.

The new indie will focus on global formats and ideas of scale across the unscripted genres. It already has several projects in advanced development, and the team is currently pitching to commissioners.

Mothership Productions’ senior team includes Charlotte Desai as creative director, Gilly Greenslade as director of programs and Gudren Claire as head of production.

Across her career, Webb-Lamb has been involved in creating, selling, producing and commissioning a variety of unscripted hits on U.K. television, including The Apprentice, Hunted, The Great British Bake Off, The Island with Bear Grylls, Mary Queen of Charity Shops and The Circle.

During her five years at Channel 4, Webb-Lamb looked after a vast roster of shows (such as Gogglebox, Naked Attraction, Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, A British Tribe Next Door, Murder Island) and developed new and diverse talent, including Mo Gilligan, Sophie Willan and Yinka Bokinni. In her final year at Channel 4, she drove and landed the Black to Front Project, the most radical diversity program in the channel’s history.

Desai joins from Five Mile Films, where she developed The Simple Life and The Dog Academy. She also created the RTS award-winning series The Dog House, a returning documentary format for Channel 4. She has been a commissioning editor at Channel 4 and Sky, with credits for The Write Offs, My Family Secret, Losing It and The Great British School Swap. Earlier in her career, Desai developed and produced The Apprentice, The Choir, The Auction House and When Michael Portillo Became a Single Mum.

Greenslade, formerly commissioning editor in factual entertainment at Channel 4, has credits for The Circle, Five Guys a Week and The Undateables. Before her time at Channel 4, she developed and was the series producer on seasons one and two of Hospital for BBC Two. In her early career, she worked on formats such as The Apprentice, Child Genius, Mary Queen of Charity Shops, Ladette to Lady, Wife Swap and Faking It.

Claire has more than 25 years of experience working with various production companies. She was head of production at Jamie Oliver’s Fresh One Productions and then Jamie Oliver Productions, and she has also been head of production and production consultant for a number of startup production companies, including Parable, Summer Films and Nick Mirsky’s Five Mile Films.

“After 25 years in the industry on both sides of the pitching/buying table, it felt like it was time to take the leap and have a go at doing it myself,” Webb-Lamb said. “I can’t honestly believe I’ve managed to persuade such a brilliant group of women to come along for the ride with me. We are super ambitious and intend to make some properly great, entertaining, warm and witty programs—and have a lot of fun.”