Ben Frow to Leave UK's Channel 5 After 14 Years at Skydance

Exclusive: An Era Is Ending at Five, the UK TV Network Within David Ellison's Newly Formed Skydance Empire. Deadline can reveal that Ben Frow will step down as Paramount's UK chief content officer next year, a role in which he has overseen Five (formerly Channel 5) for 14 years. A […]

By Jake Kanter, Jesse Wittok, Max Goldbart

EXCLUSIVE: The end of an era is drawing near at 5 o'clock, the British TV channel that is home to David Ellison's newly formed Skydance empire.

Deadline can reveal that Ben Ferro will step down as chief content officer of Paramount UK next year, a role in which he oversaw 5 (formerly Channel 5) for 14 years.

A charismatic creative director, Frow is easily 5's longest-serving chief content officer, having joined in 2012 when British media baron Richard Desmond owned the network.

Ferro has decided to leave on his own terms, but his anticipated departure comes just one week after the Warner Bros. acquisition was completed. Related news News Discovery+ raises prices in one of Skydance's first post-merger streaming moves Close News 'M+/HBO Originals': Movistar Plus & Skydance Extend Partnership

Paramount International President Kevin McLellan, who oversaw 5, and his Warner Bros. counterpart, Gerhard Ziller, are exiting the business. JB Pratt, one of the big winners of the $110 billion merger, will take over streaming and networks outside the US, and CBS CEO Brian Rubin will take over Australia's 5 and Ten on an interim basis. Watch on Deadline

In an internal email seen by Deadline, 5 president Rime Sakan said Fero will step down from his day job in the summer of 2027. He will remain employed by Skydance until the end of next year.

"His exceptional creative skills, obsession with our audience and fiery competitive spirit have led to an acclaimed creative transformation at the network and overseen an extraordinary range of hits," Sakan said.

During his tenure, Frow revitalized 5, transforming it from a broadcaster primarily associated with overseas acquisitions such as CSI into a fleet-footed, risk-taking creative force.

Frow's legacy is likely to be defined by his decision to cancel Big Brother in 2018. He took the cash from the reality series owned by Banijay and reinvested it in drama and reality content.

This led to one of Frow's biggest hits: All Creatures Great and Small, a Playground-produced drama based on the early career of veterinary surgeon James Herriot. Produced by PBS Masterpiece, All Creatures consistently delivers strong audiences and was the most-watched scripted series on the Stream 5 platform last year.

Other successful dramas include Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards and The Teacher. In fact, the Frow has welcomed big names like Monty Python star Michael Palin, who has traveled to North Korea and the Philippines for documentary series.

He won 5 BAFTA and Royal Television Society awards in 2024 for White Nanny, Black Child, while Grierson won for Suicide Squad: As We Say It. The network was named Channel of the Year at the 2025 Edinburgh Television Festival and made a record operating profit of £71.7 million ($95 million) in 2021.

Frow has a strong following in the British television industry. He is respected by producers for his creative instincts and quick decision-making, while he inspires fierce loyalty among his small team of commissioners.

He's a fun presence on public platforms: honest, direct, quick-witted, and unafraid to check out his closest rivals. 5. His mischievous winks earned him this year's Make Paramount Great Again hat at meetings — including a sit-down with Ellison himself.

On stage at the 2023 Edinburgh TV Festival, Ferro revealed that he secretly resigned in April 2022 due to burnout following the pandemic, saying he felt like he was being "tipped off" live. He later changed his mind after his mental health improved.

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