FOX Entertainment has announced that Samphire Films’ co founder, Sophie Leonard, has been named Executive Vice President, Unscripted, FOX Television Network, overseeing all aspects of the network’s unscripted programming slate.
The appointment was announced today by Michael Thorn, President of FOX Television Network.
Leonard will lead the creative strategy, development, and production of FOX’s unscripted portfolio to build “bold, premium formats and large-scale franchises designed to resonate with broad audiences and travel globally.”
Leonard has worked with FOX Entertainment across various projects, including FOX’s hit series Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
She joins FOX from Samphire Films, the indie she co-founded in 2024, where she served as Creative Director. Prior to that, Leonard was Creative Director at Minnow Films.
Her credits include four seasons of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test on FOX, SAS: Who Dares Wins and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins (Channel 4), The Apprentice (BBC), and First Dates (Channel 4). Her premium documentary work includes Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal and Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action as well as Mother Teresa: For the Love of God (Sky Documentaries), Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll (BBC/PBS), and Picasso: The Beauty and the Beast (BBC).
“Sophie is an exceptional creative leader with fearless instincts, global perspective, and a proven ability to deliver bold, high-impact unscripted entertainment,” said Michael Thorn, President of FOX Television Network. “As one of the creators and executive producers behind Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, her impact on the series is as undeniable as the many ambitious ideas she’s introduced through our partnership, and in her new role, we’ll build on that collaborative moment as we deliver on our unscripted strategy and continue to grow the FOX brand.”
“Joining FOX in this role is an extraordinary opportunity,” said Sophie Leonard. “What Rob, Michael, and the team have built is genuinely one of the most exciting growth stories anywhere in the television business right now. The scale of ambition, creative freedom, and the speed at which FOX is moving is incredibly energizing. I’m thrilled to bring my experience across the Atlantic, deepen the relationships we’ve already built, and work with the extraordinary producers and partners here in the U.S. and around the world to develop bold, FOX-worthy unscripted programming that truly travels.”
David Hodgkinson, co-founder and Creative Director of Samphire, said: “I’ve loved founding Samphire with Sophie – we’ve achieved an incredible amount in a short space of time and she leaves us in outstanding shape with a super strong slate and tons of momentum behind us.”
Jon Creamer
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