Steve Jones to 'take a break' from Sky 1
- Published: 24 November 2008 12:28
- Author: Rob Shepherd
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- Last Updated: 24 November 2008 15:55
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Steve Jones, the Sky 1 commissioner who revived classic 90s show Gladiators, is to take a career break and relocate to Australia.
Jones, who is Sky 1 entertainment and factual entertainment commissioning editor, is to move to Australia with partner Louise Benham, who is to step down as director of entertainment channel projects at MTV UK.
Benham will leave MTV this week and is understood to have secured a senior programming position at Disney Channels Australia/New Zealand, which she will take up in January.
The pair will be based in Sydney and Jones is believed to be in negotiation with leading Australian indies and networks for a new role.
A Sky spokesman said: "We confirmed two months ago with Steve that he could take a career break to go to Australia. We are currently interviewing for a temporary contract replacement."
Jones, who left Living two years ago to follow Richard Woolfe to Sky 1, was responsible for hit series Are You Smarter Than a 10-Year-Old?, Don't Forget the Lyrics and The Beckhams Go to Hollywood.
Benham joined MTV last year from Virgin Media's content division, VMTV, where she had a number of roles including managing editor of Living TV, Living TV 2 and FTN. She is also a former controller of Challenge and Trouble.
Benham spent a total of nine years at Flextech/Virgin Media TV.
The move follows news that Richard Woolfe, director of Sky 1, 2 and 3, is to leave Sky 1 in 2009 to become channel controller of Five.
