Elaine Bedell
Elaine Bedell | |
---|---|
Born | Elaine Anne Bedell London, U.K. |
Alma mater | University of Leeds |
Years active | 1987- |
Spouse(s) | Clive Brill (1990-) |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Geraldine Bedell (sister) |
Elaine Anne Bedell (born 1960) is an English television producer and executive, currently CEO of the Southbank Centre, London, a complex of artistic venues. Her former roles include Director of Comedy and Entertainment at ITV, and Executive Chair of the Edinburgh International Television Festival.
Early life[]
Bedell was raised in East London. Her sister is the novelist Geraldine Bedell. She attended a girls' grammar school in East London (formerly Essex), which became Valentines High School in 1977. She studied English at the University of Leeds, graduating in 1983.[1]
Career[]
She began her career at the BBC in 1987, producing radio programmes such as Start the Week, Midweek, Newstand and You and Yours on BBC Radio 4.
Independent media[]
She left the BBC in 1992 and became Head of Factual Entertainment at Tiger Aspect Productions. In 1994, she became Managing Director of Watchmaker Productions, a company she founded with Clive James and Richard Drewett. Watchmaker was responsible for Jeremy Clarkson's interview programme Clarkson (1998–2001) which was shown on BBC Two, and produced by Bedell.[2] The company was bought by the Chrysalis Group in 1998, and she became Managing Director of Chrysalis Entertainment from 2000.
Bedell then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2002, establishing a commercial division, Royal Shakespeare Company Enterprise Ltd.
BBC Television[]
Bedell returned to the BBC as Independent Executive,[3] where she oversaw the relationship between BBC Television and independent production companies. She became Commissioning Editor for Features and Factual Entertainment in July 2005.[4] She commissioned The One Show in 2006, and in Factual Entertainment she worked with , Adam Kemp, Richard Klein and Peter Horrocks. In November 2006 she became the Controller of BBC Entertainment, Multi-Platform Commissioning,[5] working with Jana Bennett, the Director of BBC Vision.
ITV Network[]
She joined ITV as Director of Entertainment and Comedy in March 2009.[6]
Edinburgh International Television Festival[]
From 2011 to 2014, Bedell was Executive Chair of the committee that manages the annual Edinburgh International Television Festival.[7]
Southbank Centre[]
In 2017, Bedell was appointed CEO of the Southbank Centre.[8] Her salary and bonus amounted to £194k in 2017/18, increasing to £241k in 2018/2019.[9] In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted live performances, the organisation furloughed most of its 600 employees, and in July 2020 proposed to make up to 400 redundant.[10] The PCS union protested against proposals to reduce previously agreed redundancy payments.[11]
Personal life[]
Bedell is married to Clive Brill, who is also a former BBC radio drama producer.[12] She met her husband in a school play of War and Peace, playing Natasha and Pierre. The couple married in 1990 and have a son (born 1991) and daughter.
References[]
- ^ English
- ^ Clarkson BBC Two
- ^ Executive
- ^ Factual Entertainment
- ^ November 2006
- ^ ITV
- ^ "Past Executive Chairs". The Edinburgh International Television Festival. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ Bano, Tim (6 April 2017). "TV producer Elaine Bedell appointed Southbank Centre CEO | News". The Stage. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ "Annual Report and Financial Statements: 2018–2019" (PDF). Southbank Centre. p. 44. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Bakare, Lanre (16 July 2020). "Southbank Centre warns of 400 job losses amid coronavirus crisis". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Mass redundancies as the Southbank Centre disproportionately affect BAME staff". Public and Commercial Services Union. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ The Bedell Family - Independent 1997
External links[]
- 1960 births
- Alumni of the University of Leeds
- BBC Radio 4
- BBC radio producers
- BBC television producers
- ITV people
- Living people
- Television people from London