Sky is facing a legal challenge from the former managing director of Love Productions over its management of the The Great British Bake Off brand.
Letty Kavanagh, who worked for Love for 18 years until November 2005, is pursuing twin legal cases against both Sky and Love, claiming breach of contract and wrongful dismissal and gender discrimination.
While details have not yet been made public, Deadline has reported that Kavanagh raised concerns about Sky’s attempt to poach the show from Channel 4 when it was up renewal in 2024.
During internal discussions at the time, Kavanagh alleged that Sky’s pursuit of Bake Off was a conflict of interest because the broadcaster was privy to contractual arrangements with Channel 4, including the funding agreement and talent deals.
Sky denies wrongdoing and said it will robustly defend Kavanagh’s legal claims. It said the conflict-of-interest allegation had no legal basis because it wholly owned Bake Off through its ownership of Love.
A Sky source pointed to similar deals, such as ITV poaching The Voice from the BBC soon after ITV Studios acquired Talpa in 2015.
Kavanagh further alleged that Sky planned to cancel Bake Off’s celebrity and junior spin-offs if it picked up the show, raising concerns that this would damage the show’s brand and put hundreds of jobs for staff and freelancers at risk.
She claimed Sky routinely dismissed her requests for meetings with and assurances from Sky’s senior management, and that Sky terminated her contract and marched her out of the building.
Love Productions former creative director Kieran Smith is also in dispute with Sky and Love through the UK’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, which can resolve differences before legal proceedings.
Kavanagh alleged that Smith and other male colleagues were treated more favourably when they left Love Productions, including receiving payouts denied to her.
A Sky spokesperson said: “We do not recognize Ms Kavanagh’s account of events. We reject the possibility of a conflict of interest in relation to assets we control and wholly own and refute her allegations of discrimination and retaliation in the strongest possible terms. We do not intend to comment further at this stage. Regrettably, this matter is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, in which we intend to vigorously defend our position.”
