FOX Television Network has tapped Sophie Leonard as its new EVP for unscripted, with a mandate to expand the pipeline, focusing on scalable competition formats, breakthrough social experiments, and returnable event series.
Leonard has partnered closely with FOX Entertainment on several projects, including Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. She will work with partners and internal teams on developing “bold, premium formats and large-scale franchises” that will have broad appeal and international potential.
“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 Leonard. “What Rob [Wade, FOX Entertainment CEO], 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.”
Leonard was most recently at Samphire Films, which she co-founded. She was previously at Minnow Films.
