The BBC is shifting its Birmingham operations to a broadcast centre next door to MasterChef’s new base in the creative quarter of Digbeth.
BBC Midlands will move to the former Typhoo Factory site on the east of the city, in 2026, some 22 years since it moved into its current home at The Mailbox, just to the west of the city centre.
The BBC said the new site will cost less to run than The Mailbox and is set to move all teams based there, when the current lease inspires. This will affect around 600 staff, including the teams working on Newsbeat and The Asian Network, which are moving to the site this autumn.
BBC Midlands head Stuart Thomas said the new location “will be far more visible for our audience, in a greener, more accessible and more flexible space”.
It is adjacent to Digbeth Loc Studios, which will house the MasterChef franchises and a Peaky Blinders movie from 2024.
The move is part of the BBC’s Across the UK strategy, which aims to regenerate and attract production and investment outside of London.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said the new home will “act as the catalyst for the wider regeneration of Digbeth to become a global creative quarter” and as “a magnet for young creative talent right across the West Midlands and the wider UK”.
The move builds on other efforts to shore up activity in the region, including the BBC’s Apprentice Hub and a partnership between BBC3, BBC England and Midlands-based Create Central to produce documentaries such as Full Fat TV’s Fresh Cops and Acclaimed Content’s Mother Trucker.
