The poacher behind nude dating
SHE has been instrumental in prising The Great British Bake Off from the BBC, but Channel 4’s Jay Hunt was once one of the Corporation’s most prized members of staff.
Miss Hunt, 49, was controller of BBC One until 2010 when she left to become Channel 4’s chief creative officer.
She joined the Corporation as a researcher and went on to make successful commissions as BBC One controller, including Sherlock, Mrs Brown’s Boys and Luther.
However, her tenure was not without incident. Her promotion of a Panorama documentary about dog breeding led to the BBC’s withdrawal from broadcasting Crufts. And she was at the helm when Carol Thatcher was fired from The One Show as a roving reporter for describing an international black tennis player as a ‘golliwog’.
Miss Hunt was also a witness at an employment tribunal involving former Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly who accused the BBC of ageism and sexism.
Miss Hunt has been credited with spurring a ‘creative renaissance’ at Channel 4 with programmes such as Indian Summers and Gogglebox. But she has also been at the centre of controversy, having overseen programmes such as Naked Attraction, a nude dating show which prompted nearly 100 complaints to Ofcom, and skiing contest The Jump which was axed after seven celebrity participants were injured.
She dealt with claims of ageism again when racing pundit John McCririck said he had been fired from his job because Miss Hunt was a ‘serial age discrimination offender’.
She has previously served as director of programmes at Channel 5 and lives in south London with her husband, Ian Blandford, who works for the BBC, and their son and daughter.