Jon Petrie is leaving the BBC after five years as director of comedy to become creative director at Hat Trick Productions, the independent company behind Derry Girls, Have I Got News for You, and Whose Line Is It Anyway?, according to Variety.
Petrie joined the BBC in 2021 and played a central role in developing a long list of shows including Ghosts, Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, Black Ops, Dreaming Whilst Black, Alma's Not Normal, Ludwig, and others. He also founded the BBC Comedy Festival in Liverpool, which recently marked its fifth year.
"Leaving the BBC after five brilliant years is a huge wrench. It is an extraordinary place, full of wildly talented, decent and funny people, and I feel incredibly lucky to have worked under Kate Phillips' leadership," Petrie said in a statement.
He described the new role as a rare opportunity. "Hat Trick is the OG of the independent production community, and taking on the role of creative director feels like a rare and properly exciting opportunity. I grew up seeing that logo at the end of shows I loved, which is both exciting and a fairly brutal reminder of my age."
Petrie added that he believes British comedy still has room to grow. "Jimmy and the team have a genuinely forward-looking vision across scripted, short form and AI, and while I know it is a tricky time to turn from gamekeeper to poacher, I've missed production and I firmly believe British comedy still has huge opportunities ahead of it. I'm excited to help build what comes next."
BBC chief content officer Kate Phillips acknowledged his impact. "Jon has had a huge impact since joining the BBC five years ago and has been British comedy's biggest backer by far," she said, noting that under his leadership the BBC secured eight out of the top ten comedy programs across the market last year and earned three recent BAFTA wins. "It's the worst comedy punchline of all!" she added.
Hat Trick founder and managing director Jimmy Mulville said everyone at the company was excited to have Petrie join. Petrie will officially leave the BBC in August. Emma Lawson will step up as interim director of comedy while the BBC begins recruiting for a permanent replacement.
