Love Productions


Love Productions is a UK-based television production company. Its cooking competition series The Great British Bake Off is among the most watched shows in the UK of its era., the company's credits include 54 productions.

History

Richard McKerrow and Anna Beattie formed Love Productions in 2004. In 2014 Sky acquired a 70% stake in Love Productions. In 2020, Sky bought the remaining shares making the studio a wholly owned subsidiary, seemingly part of a strategy to build a production empire. The acquisition came on the back of increased dividends for Sky 2019 of £22.7 million compared with £3.5 million in 2018; while two directors received £4.6 million in 2019, up from three directors receiving £1.4 million in 2018.
In 2020 the company's key "Bake off" series of productions has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which is likely to result in a loss of income in 2020/21.
Love Productions is also associated with the brands Love West, based in Bristol, and Love Productions USA.

Productions

The list of programmes produced by Love Productions include:
ProgrammeGenreOriginal networkFirst broadcast
Benefits StreetDocumentaryChannel 42014
Cirque de CelebritéGame showSky One2006
Famous, Rich and HungryFactualBBC One2014
Rich, Famous and in the SlumsFactualBBC One2011
Junior Bake OffBakingCBBC
Channel 4 		2011
Make Bradford BritishDocumentaryChannel 42012
The Baby BorrowersReality televisionBBC Three2007
The Biggest Little Railway in the WorldStructured realityChannel 42018
The Great British Bake OffBakingBBC Two
BBC One
Channel 4 		2010
The Chronicles of NadiyaDocumentaryBBC One2016
The Great British Sewing BeeSewingBBC Two2013
The Great Pottery Throw DownPotteryBBC Two
More4 		2015
Tower Block of CommonsDocumentaryChannel 42010
Battle of Britain: Model SquadronStructured realityChannel 42018
WestsideReality televisionNetflix2018
Singapore SocialDocuseriesNetflix2019

Controversies

Love Productions' best earning programme, The Great British Bake Off, had moved network channel from BBC Two to BBC One after three series due to its increasing popularity. Towards the end of series six, Love Productions's profits were decreasing; the company wished to remain on BBC One, however the £75 million asking price for three series was unacceptable to the BBC. Controversy arose as there were concerns the nature of the show would change with the move to Channel 4 and because most of the show's presenters did not make the move for the following series.