Hello Sunshine Launches U.K. Unscripted Unit Led by Former Channel 4 Executive Sarah Lazenby
variety.comManori Ravindran International EditorReese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine has launched an unscripted unit in the U.K.The Candle Media-backed studio has appointed former Channel 4 head of features and formats Sarah Lazenby to lead the division as executive VP of unscripted U.K.
She will report into Hello Sunshine’s head of unscripted Sara Rea, who joined the studio following the acquisition of her company SKR Productions.As part of the expansion, Hello Sunshine Unscripted U.K.
is currently developing its first production with “It’s a Sin” broadcaster Channel 4.The move into the U.K., particularly for unscripted, is a sound move for Hello Sunshine, and follows similar drives by companies such as Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions, which have similarly been keen to work with the U.K.’s world-leading factual and non-scripted production community.
At Channel 4, Lazenby was responsible for overseeing a large unscripted slate that included shows such as “The Great British Bake Off” and Jamie Oliver programming, as well as global formats such as “Flirting Dancing” and Netflix co-production “Crazy Delicious.” After five years, she left Channel 4 in January 2021 following a restructure at the public service broadcaster, which is currently on the sales block.More recently, Lazenby was a producer on the Emmy-nominated “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” special for HBO.In 2020, Hello Sunshine acquired award-winning showrunner Sara Rea’s SKR Productions, the production company behind unscripted series “Making the Cut” (Amazon’s Prime Video) with Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn.
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