Janice Hadlow

Janice Vivienne Hadlow (born November 1957) is a British writer and former BBC television executive. She was the controller of the BBC television channel BBC Two, taking over this position in November 2008 having previously been controller of BBC Four. Hadlow's post was abolished when she left the BBC in 2016. She has written a non-fiction book, A Royal Experiment: The Private Life of King George III, and a novel, The Other Bennet Sister (2020).

Early life

Hadlow was born in Lewisham, and educated at a comprehensive school in Swanley (now called Orchards Academy), in north Kent, and graduated with a BA in History from King's College London in 1978. She then spent time as a postgraduate history researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London (1978–81).

BBC career Hadlow began her media career with the BBC in 1986 as a production trainee. and in 2006 sister-paper The Guardian praised her for her work over the preceding 18-months at BBC Four.

In 2008, Hadlow became controller of BBC Two, She was succeeded by Kim Shillinglaw. Among the decisions taken by Hadlow as controller was the 2013 cancellation of the Golden Globe-nominated and Emmy award-winning BBC drama, The Hour, starring Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai and Dominic West, after its second season. It was announced in January 2016 that Hadlow would be leaving the BBC, and that her post would be abolished.