Optomen creates head of reality role

Optomen has created a head of reality role for executive producer Laura Leigh as part of a creative rejig, Broadcast can reveal.

Head of popular factual Charlotte Brookes will also take on an expanded and freshly minted position as head of factual entertainment, overseeing a bigger portfolio of content, with a focus on formats.

Leigh will take up her newly fashioned position early next year steering the All3Media label’s expanding slate of reality shows. She will report to joint chief executives Tina Flintoff and Nick Hornby.

She has been a regular exec producer at Optomen since 2022, working on some of the indie’s biggest hits including Netflix’s At Home With the Furys and ITV’s Olivia Attwood’s Getting Filthy Rich and The Price of Perfection.

Last year, she had a brief stint as showrunner for Box To Box Films’ Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen for Netflix, before returning to Optomen over the summer as executive producer of series two of At Home With The Furys.

Previously, she was series editor on Netflix’s The Circle, Amazon Prime Video’s Lovestruck High, and E4’s Celebs go Dating.

Flintoff and Hornby said: “We are delighted Laura has agreed to join us on a permanent basis as head of reality.

“She is incredibly creative, a brilliant storyteller and a gifted showrunner. Next year is going to be another very busy year and we couldn’t be happier to have someone of Laura’s calibre running such an important part of our business.”

Leigh said: “I have loved being part of the company’s success across a range of reality programmes so it is a real privilege to be able to help shape the future of the genre at Optomen on a permanent basis.”

Brookes has been at Optomen since 2021, working on shows including BBC1’s Sort Your Life Out, Getting Filthy Rich and Netflix’s Crazy Delicious. Previously, she series produced hits including BBC Studios’ Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special and Endemol Shine’s Big Brother’s Bit on the Side.

Flintoff and Hornby noted the “huge impact” she had made at the indie over the past five year.

“Her skills and expertise will be an enormous boost in her expanded role,” they added.

Optomen’s recent titles include The Princess Diaries, ITV2’s highest rated show of the year so far behind Love Island, BBC1’s Stacey and Joe, BBC3’s Tommy : The Good The Bad the Fury and ITV2’s Olivia Attwood: Bad Boyfriends. It is also in production with a feature documentary about Tyson Fury for Netflix.