BBC Diversity Lead Miranda Wayland Heading to Amazon Studios Europe

variety.com:

K.J. Yossman BBC diversity lead Miranda Wayland is set to join Prime Video/Amazon Studios Europe, Variety can confirm.Wayland was previously deputy head of diversity at the BBC.

She had been at the broadcaster for five years but reportedly announced her resignation last week.She will join Amazon later this year where she will take up the position of head of Europe’s diversity, equity and inclusion for Amazon Studios and Prime Video.

Her remit will include both off-screen and on-screen representation.Wayland will work closely with European originals, business affairs, public policy, marketing and other departments with the intention of increasing diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the business via programmes and other initiatives.

Wayland will report to Latasha Gillespie, Amazon Studios’ global head of diversity, equity and inclusion at Amazon Studios. Gillespie is based in Los Angeles.Before her role at the BBC, Wayland worked at ITV for a decade, where she held the title of diversity manager.In an address during Mip TV last year, Wayland pointed to “Luther” as an example of a show lacking in authenticity despite casting Idris Elba in the lead. “When it first came out, everyone loved that Idris Elba was in there – a really strong black character lead,” Wayland reportedly said. “But after you got into the second series you thought: well, he doesn’t have any black friends, he doesn’t eat any Caribbean food.