Former YMU Business Exec Joins Rebranded Digital Content Indie Cowshed Collective

Queen Camilla is taking social media by storm.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor U.S. film financier Grandave Capital will invest in the documentary “Romano Artioli – The Last Great Dreamer,” about the one-time owner of the Bugatti and Lotus automobile brands, Romano Artioli. In 1952, Artioli, a 20-year-old technician in Italy watched in astonishment as Bugatti ceased production in Molsheim, France. Artioli studied mechanical engineering and went on to repair cars, before eventually setting up an automotive retail and import business. By the mid-1980s, this business became so successful that Artioli was able to begin discussions with the French government about buying the Bugatti brand. In 1987, his dream became a reality.

This Morning fans were left completely distracted as Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary were joined by not one but three classic X Factor stars. The ITV daytime show's hosting duo have previously been joined by former Big Brother stars and on Friday (February 24) they continued with their nostalgic look back at some of the people from the UK's biggest TV shows.

A former pensions minister has warned the Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign (WASPI) that they are likely to receive “tiny bits of compensation” and not the “thousands and thousands” they may be expecting once the Parliamentary Ombudsman has released its final report.

Motion Content Group, an industrious producer and co-financier of Love Island, Wynonna Earp and some 1,800 other series globally, is rebranding as GroupM Motion Entertainment in North America.

Former ABC News Chief James Goldston has joined Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Candle Media to head up a new division focused on scripted and non-scripted features and series inspired by true stories. Goldston will serve as President of the new group. 

Marta Balaga Total spend on content will “flatten and slightly decline” this year. This tendency might continue for “at least” the next couple of years, according to Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson, a speaker at Monday’s opening panel of the Berlinale Series Market, which runs through Feb. 22. “We are entering a phase of market maturity in streaming: Growth is difficult to come by. We see it across the globe, most drastically in the U.S.,” he observed.  That said, there is one “lockdown trend” that happened to stick around: Unscripted commissioning rose to match scripted, with streaming commissioning currently focusing ever more at documentary, entertainment and reality. 

It’s officially awards season - famously Schitt’s Creek’s Moira Rose’s favourite time of the year. While the biggest ones in music (the Grammys and the Brits) have been and gone, it’s almost time for the BAFTAS, which celebrates the best of British television and film. While the nominees battle it out for the likes of Best British Film, Best Actress/Actor and Best Documentary, etc.

EXCLUSIVE: Pig and Manodrome producer Ben Giladi is formally launching his production banner Liminal Content at this year’s Berlin Film Festival where Manodrome debuted in Competition.

Linda Yaccarino, head of advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, has been named group chair of UK management firm YMU.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Linda Yaccarino, who spends most of her day trying to sell advertisers on NBCUniversal commercial inventory, will take on a new task of trying to do something similar with actors and artists. Yaccarino was named global chair of YMU, a British talent-management group, replacing Harvey Goldsmith, who left the company in 2021. Yaccarino will retain her role at NBCU, where she is global chairman of global advertising and partnerships. “Linda’s appointment shows the scale of ambition for the Group – her value, knowledge and expertise will enable us to deliver an even better service to our clients and turbo charge our international growth,’ said Mary Bekhait, YMU’s global CEO, in a statement.

She was fired halfway through the process of last year's series of The Apprentice, and Amy Anzel has slammed the BBC One business competition as "car crash TV" while calling for business magnate Lord Alan Sugar to be "fired." Beauty boss Amy, who was shown the door by Lord Sugar in week six, told us that series 17 is a difficult watch for her.

Miramax TV is bolstering its executive ranks with the addition of David R. Shraga as SVP and Head of Business & Legal Affairs for the studio’s Global Television operations. Shraga will report to Head of Global TV Marc Helwig, and is responsible for all domestic and international co-production relationships, above the line deal making, licensing, and distribution agreements.  

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora was revealed to have been the mystery celebrity singing in a jacket potato costume on The Masked Singer UK at the weekend.READ MORE: Mark, My Words: this is how The Masked Singer could become the greatest show ever made During his time on the show, Sambora had performed songs such as Elvis Presley‘s ‘Viva Las Vegas’, Leonard Cohen‘s ‘Hallelujah’, Fleetwood Mac‘s ‘Go Your Own Way’ and ‘Love Me Again’ by John Newman.After he was eliminated from the competition and duly unmasked, Sambora said: “I love being a guitar player and a songwriter. And of course I’m very privileged and honoured to have had so much success and the accolades of being a Grammy winner, an Ivor Novello Award winner and a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee, but what I really love to do is sing!”“My hiatus from Bon Jovi and the Covid impact on my solo touring meant I could only do one thing which is make a new record until I saw The Masked Singer! I loved it and it was a lot of fun to watch it at a time where due to lockdowns and being forced to be at home the world was a little quieter than it had been since Bon Jovi kicked off 37 years ago.”Other musicians to have been ‘unmasked’ during this year’s competition include Lulu (Piece Of Cake), Claire Richards from Steps (Knitting) and Martin and Shirlie Kemp (Cat and Mouse).Sambora played guitar as part of Bon Jovi until 2013.

We’re all just living in Harry’s House! Harry Styles swept at the 43rd annual Brit Awards, in which he took home all four trophies that he was nominated for.

UPDATE: Film producer Dillon Jordan was sentenced in New York City today to the maximum of five years in prison for running a high-end prostitution ring. He was sentenced in New York for providing women to clients and organizing sex parties in the US and abroad.

Whitney director Kevin Macdonald has struck a multi-project deal with rebranded Banijay label Workerbee Group.

Sky is seeking inspiration from Happy Valley for its next hit show as programs boss Zai Bennett says the pay-TV giant is taking a ‘less is more’ approach to original content.

Ireland will be competing in the Eurovision Song Contest this year without the services of John Lydon, after the former Sex Pistols singer failed last night in his bid to represent the country.

BBC3 has named Nasfim Haque as its Head of Content after controller Fiona Campbell was promoted to a new role overseeing the British broadcaster’s youth audience.