Fremantle’s Naked hires ‘The Apprentice’ exec as first head of entertainment

Paul Broadbent

Fremantle-owned UK producer Naked has hired Paul Broadbent as its first head of entertainment.

Broadbent is charged with running Naked’s slate of new entertainment shows, alongside existing formats and developing new concepts.

He previously executive produced four seasons of the BBC’s The Apprentice, which is produced by Naked, and prior to that he was series editor on the show.

Broadbent also developed Channel 4’s Gogglebox and was series editor on the first three seasons for Studio Lambert, while other credits include Rumpus Media’s Mary Berry Saves Christmas for BBC One. He has also had stints at Lime Pictures.

Naked has been expanding its exec ranks of late, naming James Lessell as head of factual entertainment, Cam de la Huerta as head of formats, and Karen Knowles as head of production.

Fatima Salaria, MD at Naked, said: “Paul has been integral to the long running success of The Apprentice and under his leadership the show has gone from strength to strength making it BBC One’s number one unscripted show of the year for young adults. His experience in the entertainment field makes him the perfect person for this role.”