The Traitors exec Syeda Irtizaali is leaving the BBC for Netflix.
In a big move for the UK commissioning landscape, Irtizaali will take up a new post as Director of Unscripted at Netflix, a role that the streamer had been looking to fill since Ben Kelly’s exit.
Irtizaali will be part of Anne Mensah’s commissioning team. She was most recently Interim Director of Unscripted at the BBC, a role she took on when Kate Phillips was promoted to Chief Content Officer. In a note to staff in the past few minutes seen by Deadline, Phillips said an interim plan for her successor will be announced shortly. “As an Entertainment Commissioner, an Editor for Channels and iPlayer, and most recently as our Interim Director of Unscripted, she has utterly delivered with great energy, insight and instinct,” Phillips wrote.
Irtizaali was one of the architects of the NBCUniversal partnership that has so far birthed The Traitors and Destination X. The Traitors has been hugely popular for the BBC and Peacock on either sides of the pond. The BBC is about to launch a celebrity version. The show will likely define Irtizaali’s legacy at the corporation.
Watch on Deadline
Netflix’s UK unscripted shows have included Too Hot to Handle and Love is Blind UK and Irtizaali joins the team as it enjoys a solid run in scripted, with Adolescence coming away from last week’s Emmys with multiple gongs.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Netflix and Anne Mensah’s incredible team of commissioners here in the UK,” said Irtizaali.
At the BBC, Irtizaali was managing entertainment, docs, fact-ent, specialist factual, arts and Storyville. Her interim director of unscripted role will now need to be filled permanently, per Phillips’ note. Her past employers include Channel 4, where she was responsible for commissioning hits including The Million Pound Drop, The Last Leg, and The Big Fat Quiz of The Year. She began her career at BBC News before working for indies including Monkey, Planet 24, Diverse, At It and Brighter.