Former Love MD suing Sky

The former managing director of Love Productions Letty Kavanagh is suing her former employer and its owner Sky over wrongful dismissal and gender discrimination.  

Deadline first reported that the exec, who was revealed to have left Love in November, is alleging that she was fired by the broadcaster after raising concerns about its management of the Bake Off brand.  

Kavanagh has engaged London law firm Kingsley Napley to pursue legal cases, including a High Court lawsuit claiming breach of contract, and employment tribunal action for wrongful dismissal and gender discrimination. 

She has disputed the broadcaster’s attempt to poach long-running title from Channel 4 in 2024 because the broadcaster was privy to contractual arrangements with Channel 4, including the funding agreement and talent deals. She claims Sky planned to scale back the brand by cancelling spin-off series including Junior Bake Off, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. 

She claims to have been dismissed following request for meetings with senior management over the takeover, with Sky ultimately terminating her contract on account of her gender. She has also alleged that male colleagues were treated more favourably when they left the indie.  

Sky has denied wrongdoing and said it will defend the legal claims, arguing there was no legal basis for the claim because it wholly owned Bake Off as Love’s owner.  

Kieran Smith, the indie’s former creative director, is also in dispute with Sky and Love through the UK’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. 

A Sky spokesperson told Broadcast: “We do not recognise Ms Kavanagh’s account of events. We reject the possibility of a conflict of interest in relation to assets we control and wholly own and refute her allegations of discrimination and retaliation in the strongest possible terms.

“We do not intend to comment further at this stage. Regrettably, this matter is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, in which we intend to vigorously defend our position.”