ONE of the top bosses at Channel 4 has announced his departure from the network in the wake of a tough few months for the broadcaster.
Head of Entertainment, Phil Harris, has decided to walk away from his role after four years, as first reported by Deadline.
Phil will leave Channel 4 at the end of this year in a bid to focus solely on his own production company venture with the TV boss expected to announce further details later this year.
His departure comes amid a recent crisis at Channel 4 which saw a string of shows axed in a bid to save cash.
Despite facing hard times over the past few months, Phil was responsible for the creation and commissioning of programmes such as Joe Lycett's Friday night show Late Night Lycett, game show Tempting Fortune hosted by Paddy McGuinness as well as the controversial Prince Andrew: The Musical.
In an emotional statement to confirm his exit, Phil said: “[It's been the] greatest honour to spend four special years at Channel 4 but I am looking forward to my next step".
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He continued: “I’m really proud of the broad range of returning brands we have now in entertainment and know Steve will do a fabulous job progressing the department into a new era."
One of Channel 4's fellow head honchos Ian Katz said Phil had "presided over a purple patch for C4 entertainment, delivering a host of hugely original new shows, helping to launch the careers of some of the most exciting new talents in the industry, and racking up so many awards we’ve had to get a bigger mantlepiece".
The commissioning editor behind new celeb show Don't Look Down, Steve Handley, will take his place.
Phil joined the channel in 2019 having previously worked for the production company behind Britain's Got Talent hit, Thames.
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It was there that he worked on popular formats including launching The Greatest Dancer and BBC Three's Eating with My Ex as well as working across current ratings winners Celebs Go Dating and Saturday Night Takeaway.
Earlier this year, the network reportedly ran into funding issues and had to make the difficult decision to can a slew of successful series.
The budget cuts are said to have affected Naked Attraction, Four Weddings, Scared of The Dark and Rescue: Extreme Medics.
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