ITV Studios director of production Sally Debonnaire has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours.
Debonnaire, who is soon to retire from the role, received the honour for services to television and for her voluntary contributions as ITV’s representative on the board of industry-wide training body ScreenSkills.
She recently received the RTS Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of “setting a platinum standard for TV production” over a 30-year career that has included stints as chief operating officer of TalkbackThames, managing director of Avalon and controller of production operations for BBC Vision prior to her decade at ITV Studios.
In October, ITV Studios announced her plans to retire in early 2022, with her role now shared between three execs: Matt Cleary (director of production for scripted), Helen Killeen (non-scripted) and Ben Russell (international).
Other TV names receiving honours include:
Greg Childs, co-founder of Children’s Media Conference, director of Children’s Media Foundation and producer of BBC shows including Record Breakers and Play School (OBE for services to international trade and children’s media)
Kate Garraway, broadcaster (MBE for services to broadcasting, journalism and charity)
Adam Hills, comedian and host of Channel 4’s The Last Leg (MBE for services to Paralympic sport and disability awareness)
Horace Ove, director (Knighthood for services to media)
Moira Stuart, broadcaster (CBE for services to media)
Margherita Taylor, Countryfile and Escape to the Country presenter (MBE for services to broadcasting and diversity)
