Rare TV appoints Daniela Neumann as chief exec

Rare TV has appointed former Spun Gold managing director Daniela Neumann to succeed Alexander Gardiner. 

Broadcast revealed that Neumann had stood down from Spun Gold in October to explore other opportunities, although this was understood to include a potential tie-up with the indie’s parent 53 Degrees Global. 

However, her appointment at Digging for Britain producer Rare TV has superseded this.

Neumann’s hire comes a month after Gardiner announced he was stepping back from Rare to prioritise his health and family commitments, as revealed by Broadcast.  

The long-standing and award-winning executive producer remains connected to Rare as non-executive chair, taking over the role from current chair Graham Coxell, who retains a seat on the board. 

Neumann brings more than three decades’ experience to Rare, most recently serving a decade-long tenure as Spun Gold MD, where she tripled the indie’s turnover and expanded into different genres on a local and international level. 

Under her leadership, Spun Gold delivered titles including The Real Full Monty for ITV and Fox, MILF Manor for TLC, The Big Body Hotel for Discovery, and BBC programmes such as Inside Dubai and Garden Rescue. 

Prior to Spun Gold, she worked in both the UK and the US running channels and commissioning teams for ITV, Virgin and Viasat Broadcasting.

As controller of entertainment at ITV, she was across shows such as Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Dancing on Ice and I’m a Celebrity.  

Neumann was also commissioning editor for ITV1 factual, having previously run ITV2 and served as director of programmes for Virgin. 

“Rare TV has proved itself to be just as described,” Neumann said. “In a period that has been incredibly challenging for so many, not only have Alex and his team achieved the rare feat of standing their ground, but the company has actually moved forward.

“The company is on the precipice of many great things, and I feel privileged to take over. For me, this is a dream scenario, in which my leadership experience, global network of relationships and ideas can actively contribute to an already remarkable company.” 

Gardiner added: “It feels great to be passing the baton to someone as wonderful as Daniela. She will be a terrific addition to Rare as we continue to turbocharge growth into new markets, genres and platforms.  

“She not only has a fantastic track record in making widely watched content, but she’s also an original thinker with a knack for bringing out the best out in her teams. With Daniela at the helm, I can’t wait to see what the future will bring.”