Fremantle’s Naked appoints Fatima Salaria as Managing Director

Naked, a Fremantle company, has today announced the appointment of Fatima Salaria to the role of Managing Director, effectively replacing Naked’s former CEO Simon Andreae, who was recently appointed CEO of Fremantle UK

Salaria will join Naked from Channel 4, where she is currently Head of Specialist Factual, to oversee Naked both creatively and commercially, working closely with Creative Director Tom O’Brien and COO Susie Dark.

Simon Andreae, CEO, Fremantle UK commented: “I am thrilled to welcome Fatima to Naked and to have her join the Fremantle family. She’s an exceptional next generation leader with a bold and broad vision that melds perfectly with Tom and Susie’s ethos and with Naked’s growing brand for smart and popular shows with strong characters and great stories. “

Fatima Salaria commented: “I'll be sad to leave Channel 4; I've enjoyed working with so many creatives especially my colleague Danny Horan and so many brilliant Indies who've been a pleasure to collaborate with. This is a great chance to develop my career in a new direction with Simon Andreae at Fremantle, someone who I've long admired who shares my creative vision and supports the drive for greater diversity in the industry.”

Danny Horan, Head of Factual, Channel 4 added: “We’ll miss Fatima hugely…she has helped set a different course for Factual: ideas we have commissioned, the talent - both on and offscreen and what we stand for. I have learned a lot and am incredibly grateful for her honesty, making us think differently and her mischievous humour. Naked is lucky to have her.”

As Head of Specialist Factual for Channel 4, Salaria was responsible for a department whose output ranges from popular formats including SAS: Who Dares Wins to award-wining documentaries including 100 Vaginas and 3 Identical Strangers. She supervised hit series My Grandparents War and Putin: A Russian Spy Story, greenlit timely specials including Ramadan in Lockdown and Race Against the Virus, and shaped the Channel’s response to the killing of George Floyd with the Take Your Knee Off My Neck series of shorts.

Prior to joining Channel 4, she was Commissioning Editor for Religion and Ethics at the BBC, where she acted as the principal commissioner for Who Do You Think You Are?, commissioned the Bafta and multiple award-winning Muslims like Us, and curated the Black and British and Big British Asian Summer seasons. Before this, as a BBC producer/director, she worked on Andrew Marr’s History of Britain and created shows including The London Riots: In Their Own Words, Underworld Rich List, and Women in Black.

Naked creates and produces high quality, innovative factual and entertainment programming for the UK, US and international television markets. Current and recent shows include the BAFTA-nominated The Rap Game UK and 21 Again for BBC3, Harry Redknapp’s Sandbanks Summer and Manson: The Lost Tapes for ITV, Indian Summer School and the upcoming Ghost for Channel 4, 100% Hotter and Secret Admirer for Channel 5 and 5 Star, My Hotter Half for E4, and the Emmy-nominated The Day I Picked My Parents for A&E Networks. Naked is also partnered with sister label Thames on BBC1’s recently announced I Can See Your Voice.

Fremantle acquired a minority stake in Naked in 2015 and in February 2020 announced a full 100% ownership.