EXCLUSIVE: There have been more exits at UK agency YMU, further shaking up the talent landscape as a wealth of top TV names depart with their reps.
Senior agents Rebecca Dowell, Minnie Harding and Lizzie Barroll Brown have all left Simon Cowell’s agency over the summer months, taking with them the likes of YouTube sensations Munya Chawawa and Amelia Dimoldenberg, Judge Rinder presenter Robert Rinder and Your Home Made Perfect host Angela Scanlon.
We understand Dowell now reps Chawawa and Dimoldenberg at international management outfit Three Six Zero, while Harding has joined MVE and has taken BBC radio host Clara Amfo with her to Joe Sugg and Caspar Lee’s Endeavor-backed outfit. Another YMU client, Leigh Francis aka Celebrity Juice host Keith Lemon, has left to join up with his former YMU agent, George Ashton, at her agency, Ashton Artists. Three Six Zero and Ashton Artists hadn’t responded to requests for comment before press time.
Meanwhile, Barroll Brown has launched her own London agency, Castle Place, which is in its infancy, repping Scanlon, Rinder and presenter Cherry Healey, the latter of whom joins from Insanity. Barroll Brown declined comment.
Castle Place’s launch is another example of the UK agenting landscape being shaken up by the changes at YMU. Earlier this month, we revealed ex-YMU Global MD Holly Bott had launched Little Arrow, with major clients including Traitors host Claudia Winkleman, previously a YMU client, coming with her. Last week, we told you that literary boss Amanda Harris was also leaving to open her own shingle.
The trio of agent departures are additive to the circa-30 who left amid a financial restructure around this time last year. YMU has endured a tricky period, kicked off by the exit of presenter Phillip Schofield amid the This Morning scandal, then the layoffs, and subsequently a sale to private lending firm Permira Credit in a £60M ($77M) deal. Other clients such as Nicole Scherzinger have also left this year.
YMU’s client roster now includes the likes of Cowell, Ant and Dec, Graham Norton, Davina McCall, Stacey Solomon, Rylan Clarke and Fearne Cotton, and its new owners have said they would support the group “in seizing growth opportunities ahead.”
“It is normal that, over time, there are a few clients that leave and indeed some staff also,” said a spokeswoman today. “Equally, we continue to attract and retain top tier talent — both client and internal.”
Ten clients have been signed in the past few months, the spokeswoman added, saying: “We wish anyone departing well and will be announcing a suite of new hires and signings in September.” As we reported in April, it has signed the likes of social media influencer Grace Beverley. It has made 19 signings overall in recent months.
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