EXCLUSIVE: Another two senior execs at The Apprentice UK producer Naked have exited – commercial boss Tamara Howe and Head of Formats Cam de la Huerta.
The depleted Fremantle label also saw its factual entertainment chief James Lessell leave earlier this year to set up an indie, while MD Fatima Salaria left at the start of 2023.
In an all-staff email, Naked MD Tom O’Brien said Howe “leaves Naked in a better place” after a three-year stint as Director of Commercial and Operations, while de la Huerta was thanked for “passion and hard work.”
Howe is an experienced and well-liked exec, who was previously MD of Vice TV EMEA. Prior to that, she spent 13 years in various senior roles for the BBC, including Controller of Business for the comedy and entertainment team.
She joined Naked on a three-month contract in 2020 following its merger with Fremantle stablemate Boundless “but became indispensable for us all and quickly became a part of our core team,” added O’Brien’s note. Howe worked across commercial and strategy while also focusing on supporting diverse talent within the company and centralizing welfare and casting teams. “We all owe her a debt of gratitude for her diligence, hard work and focus on the bigger picture,” added O’Brien.
De la Huerta worked on Naked’s Sky Max specials including The Unofficial Science of Home Alone along with a new reality series for a streamer. The former Circle exec only joined last year but leaves a few months after Lessell. “I’m looking forward to my next challenge but wish Tom and the senior team the very best for the future,” he said.
Naked produces BBC hits such as The Apprentice, The Rap Game UK and Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne. It is working on a Netflix reality development, Banned Camp, Amazon Prime Video’s Hot Mess Summer about Brits trying to run a pub in Zante and an untitled non-monogamous dating format for Peacock.
The label has seen plenty of change of late. Salaria left at the start of 2023 and was replaced by Creative Director O’Brien but his old post hasn’t been filled. Meanwhile at Naked-owner Fremantle UK, CEO Simon Andreae resigned after Deadline revealed he had faced complaints of workplace misconduct. His place was eventually taken by Amelia Brown, the head of Britain’s Got Talent label Thames, who had initially planned to leave to set up an indie.
