Jon Petrie, the BBC’s head of comedy, is leaving the broadcaster after five years to join Hat Trick Productions as Creative Director. Petrie, who has overseen a strong slate of BBC comedy commissions, will depart in August, while Emma Lawson will take over as Interim Director of Comedy with immediate effect.
During his time at the BBC, Petrie played a key role in supporting and commissioning acclaimed and popular series including Small Prophets, Amandaland, Dreaming Whilst Black and Such Brave Girls. He also helped guide the genre through a competitive and challenging period for British television comedy, with shows such as Ludwig, Ghosts and Gavin & Stacey reaching new heights under his leadership. Other notable titles associated with his tenure include Black Ops, Death Valley and We Might Regret This.
Petrie said leaving the BBC after five years was “a huge wrench,” describing the organisation as “extraordinary” and praising the talent of the people he worked with. He called the move to Hat Trick a “rare and properly exciting opportunity,” adding that he had grown up seeing the company’s logo on programmes he loved. He said Hat Trick’s vision across scripted, short-form and AI content was forward-looking, and that he was excited to help build what comes next for British comedy.
BBC chief content officer Kate Phillips praised Petrie’s impact, calling him “British comedy’s biggest backer by far.” She said his vision and drive had delivered a remarkable number of hit shows and highlighted his commitment to giving original voices room to take risks. Phillips said the genre had enjoyed a terrific period under his leadership.
Hat Trick founder Jimmy Mulville welcomed the appointment, saying Petrie and Hat Trick shared the same comedy DNA and that the company was looking forward to working with him.
Petrie joined the BBC in 2021 from Charlie Brooker’s production company Broke and Bones. Before that, he worked at Roughcut and Channel 4. He replaced Shane Allen in what is widely regarded as one of the most important commissioning roles in British comedy.
He has also been one of the most vocal advocates for greater support for the sector, repeatedly arguing that British comedy needs more backing and calling for a comedy tax credit. At the BBC Comedy Festival in 2024, he urged producers to focus on making genuinely funny shows rather than pitching dramedies or vague “explorations” of themes. More recently, at the Liverpool festival, he joked that British comedy is like the “Prince Harry of the TV Royal Family,” forced to fight harder than it should for attention, status and survival.
With Petrie’s departure, attention is now turning to who will take over the BBC’s top comedy role permanently. Several prominent names from across the production and broadcasting landscape are likely to be considered, including leaders at Channel 4, Sky and Netflix’s newly appointed UK comedy team.
