Weakest Link man leaves BBC

David Young's department discovered Ant and Dec

The BBC's head of light entertainment, David Young, is to leave the corporation.

Mr Young, whose hit creations for the BBC include Friends Like These and The Weakest Link, is to join his former employer Hat Trick Productions as the managing director of a new venture.

Mr Young said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my two years at the BBC during a very creative period for light entertainment.

The Weakest Link is one of Young's commercial successes

"However, the prospect of working at Hat Trick in such an exciting new venture was too tempting to turn down."

Mike Beale, currently production executive at BBC light entertainment, will join him as deputy.

Denise O'Donoghue, joint managing director of Hat Trick said the company had been in talks with Young for the last few months.

She said: "We couldn't be more pleased.

"He has become one of the few creative leaders in this business and we are very excited that he and Mike are joining us as partners."

Hat Trick is the independent production company that devised Father Ted, Have I Got News For You and Clive Anderson Now.

Alan Yentob, the BBC's director of drama, entertainment and children's programmes, wished Mr Young good luck in his new job.

He said: "David quickly made his mark as a dynamic force in entertainment at the BBC and we have benefited from his creativity and great enthusiasm."

Mr Young studied drama at Bristol University and joined Hat Trick as a runner while still a student.

He joined the BBC from Bazal Productions in March 1999 and at 31 was the youngest person ever to hold the post of head of light entertainment.

His sharp commercial talents are credited with making the department a success but there were constant rumours that he was being poached.

Only last December a BBC spokesperson denied that Mr Young was leaving the corporation, while admitting that he had a number of approaches.