Kay Benbow (born 1961) is a British broadcasting executive, and was the Controller of the BBC channel

CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older childr ...

from 2010 - 2017.

Early life

Kay Benbow was born in Sheffield. She studied Theology at

St Hugh's College, Oxford St Hugh's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It is located on a site on St Margaret's Road, to the north of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 by Elizabeth Wordsworth as a women's college, and accepte ...

, gaining her degree in 1980. She joined the BBC in 1984.

BBC Children's

Kay Benbow began working for BBC Children's in 1988. She moved to

in 2002.

launched in February 2002. During this time she also spent two years outside the BBC at

Tell-Tale Productions Wish Films (formerly Tell-Tale Productions) is an animation and live-action studio, established by Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan in 1994. The company first produced live shows, and later went on to produce TV shows. History As Tell-Tale Produ ...

until 2000. She became the second Controller of

in May 2010. In October 2014 Benbow became Acting Director of BBC Children's following the resignation of Joe Godwin, until the appointment of

Alice Webb Alice Webb is a British television executive. She is CEO of Mercury Studios, an arm of the Universal Music Group, established on her appointment in 2020. The newly formed company is the parent of Eagle Rock Entertainment. She was previously presi ...

in February 2015. Under her control,

has won the BAFTA Children's Award for Channel of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2016. In January 2017, she was awarded an honorary degree from

Sheffield University , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

in recognition of her achievements in the industry and her commitment to research-informed understanding of young children’s engagement with television. In July 2017, it was announced that the post of Controller of

would close and Benbow left the BBC at the end of that year. Benbow said that she would, "leave with pride, knowing that

is in great shape, is loved by the audience and will go from strength to strength. I have always said that the very young deserve the very best and I have strived to give them just that. It is my hope that

inspires them and makes a positive impact on their lives, helping to create happy, confident children".

Personal life

Kay Benbow is married with two sons (born May 1994 and June 1998). She married Ian Stubbs in June 1991. Both of her sons attended

John Hampden Grammar School John Hampden Grammar School (known colloquially as "JHGS") is a selective state boys' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after the local member of parliament and English Civil War commander John Hampden. In J ...

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, south-southeast of Ayl ...

. She lives in

South Bucks South Bucks was one of four local government districts in the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in South East England. The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, by the amalgamation of the area of Beac ...

References

External links

CBeebies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benbow, Kay 1961 births Living people Alumni of St Hugh's College, Oxford BBC executives People from Sheffield People from South Bucks District