Jon Petrie, the BBC’s director of comedy, is leaving the broadcaster to become creative director at Hat Trick Productions, the independent company behind series including “Derry Girls,” “Have I Got News for You,” “Mastermind” and “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Petrie will take up the role after departing the BBC in August, and Emma Lawson will serve as interim director of comedy while the broadcaster recruits a permanent replacement.
Petrie joined the BBC in 2021 and oversaw a period of strong output for the comedy division, helping guide projects such as “Ghosts,” “Gavin and Stacey: The Finale,” “Black Ops,” “Dreaming Whilst Black,” “Alma’s Not Normal,” “Amandaland,” “Death Valley,” “Juice,” “Ludwig,” “Small Prophets” and “Here We Go.” He also created the BBC Comedy Festival in Liverpool, which has now completed its fifth year.
In a statement, Petrie said leaving the BBC after five years was a “huge wrench,” describing the organisation as full of talented, decent and funny people and thanking BBC content chief Kate Phillips for her leadership. He called Hat Trick an “exciting opportunity” and said he had missed production, adding that British comedy still has major opportunities ahead. Petrie noted Hat Trick’s plans across scripted, short-form and AI content and said he was eager to help shape what comes next.
BBC chief content officer Kate Phillips praised Petrie as a major backer of British comedy and said his leadership had delivered a remarkable number of hit shows by giving original voices space to take risks. She said the BBC had secured eight of the top 10 comedy programs across the market last year and earned three recent BAFTA wins, crediting Petrie and his team with helping the genre thrive during a difficult period for the industry. Phillips said she was sorry to lose him, but wished him well in his new role.
Jimmy Mulville, founder and managing director of Hat Trick Productions, said the company was delighted to bring Petrie on board. He said Petrie had guided BBC Comedy through one of its most creative and successful periods and pointed to titles such as “Ludwig,” “Amandaland,” “Alma’s Not Normal” and “Small Prophets” as evidence of his range and taste. Mulville said Hat Trick and Petrie share the same comedy DNA and expressed confidence that the partnership would be a strong fit.
Petrie’s move marks a significant shift in British comedy leadership, bringing a senior BBC executive to one of the UK’s best-known independent production companies. His departure comes at a time when both the BBC and Hat Trick are looking to build on recent success and expand their comedy slates for television and beyond.
