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FremantleMedia picks up 25% stake in Simon Andreae’s Naked Entertainment
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia has taken a 25 per cent stake in Simon Andreae’s newly formed production company Naked Entertainment.
Based in London, Naked Entertainment will develop original entertainment, factual, and factual entertainment formats, with series and one-off specials. The deal will further strengthen FremantleMedia’s content pipeline for the UK and global distribution market.
FremantleMedia CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz said, “We are actively looking for the right companies and talent to expand and strengthen our business. Simon is one of the industry’s preeminent factual entertainment producers with a long history of delivering hits with global appeal. He already has a strong development slate and I’m really pleased to be partnering with him to bring his projects to audiences around the world.”
Andreae added, “I’m excited to be back in the UK and delighted to be partnering with FremantleMedia, whose depth of experience and breadth of reach in entertainment programming is unrivalled. Naked, as the name suggests, aims to be provocative and risk-taking – but also kind of simple and straightforward – producing content designed to attract, surprise, and I hope delight audiences both in the UK and overseas.”
Andreae was most recently at Fox Broadcasting’s Alternative Entertainment as executive vice president in the US. Here, he oversaw all the network’s unscripted series and specials, including MasterChef, Hell’s Kitchen, So You Think You Can Dance, World’s Funniest Fails, Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution, and Hilary Swank’s Cause for Paws.
Prior to Fox, he was senior vice president, development and production, for Discovery, where he developed ratings hits Naked and Afraidand Fast N Loud, as well as supervised the multi-award winning Curiosity series hosted by Stephen Hawking, Donald Trump, and Samuel L Jackson, among others.
He was also a founding partner of UK indie Optomen Television, helping grow it into one of the UK’s largest non-scripted prod-cos with a broad mix of programming including Police, Camera, Action!, The Naked Chef, Anatomy of Desire and Gore Vidal’s American Presidency.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
