GECs
Celador completes first stage of buyout
MUMBAI: UK production house Celador Productions, which developed the Who Wants to be a Millionaire? format, has completed the first stage of a management buyout led by its MD Danielle Lux.
Reports state that Lux’s interest in acquiring the company became public after parent company Complete Communications Corporation (CCC) put Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, plus licensing and distribution arm Celador International up for sale last year.
Outgoing Celador Productions chairman Paul Smith is supporting the buyout and will remain a shareholder in the company until his shareholding is purchased in its entirety by the management team. Smith will also keep an ongoing, non-executive role in the company.
In addition to the management buyout team, Celador Productions management includes: Ruth Wrigley, the recently appointed head of entertainment; and Liz Anstee the head of the group’s radio interests.
Lux said: “This is an amazing opportunity. It’s not every day that a fistful of programmes, including You Are What You Eat and one of Britain’s best production companies are landed in your lap. But that is what has happened to us.”
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
