Kate Oates has joined ‘EastEnders’ as Senior Executive Producer.
The former ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Emmerdale’ boss will to oversee the running of the BBC One soap, as well as ‘Casualty’ and ‘Holby City’, with temporary returning boss John Yorke set to step down from the Albert Square role.
Kate said: "Working across ‘EastEnders’, ‘Casualty’ and ‘Holby City’ is an amazing opportunity for me to have creative input into three of the UK’s leading dramas.
"I’m excited about meeting the teams and talent behind each show and can’t wait to get stuck in and tell some unmissable stories."
Mark Linsey, CCO at BBC Studios, is delighted Kate – who is currently working on the second series of ITV drama ‘Bancroft’ – has joined the BBC, and he thanked John for his stint on the programme.
He said: "Kate is a dynamic, passionate and creative storyteller and I couldn’t be more thrilled that she’s joining BBC Studios to work with our fantastic teams at ‘EastEnders’, ‘Holby City’ and ‘Casualty’.
"At ‘EastEnders’, she will be taking the baton from John Yorke, who stepped in to run the show on a temporary basis in June 2017.
"I’d like to personally thank him for the great job he’s done during this interim period. John will continue to work together with Kate to ensure a smooth handover until the end of the year, and we will be announcing his next role with us in the coming weeks."
Charlotte Moore, director of BBC Content, said: "Kate Oates is a really thrilling appointment; she has a real passion for soaps and I have no doubt that her experience, creative flair and dynamism will excite the next generation of BBC One soap fans.
"I would like to thank John Yorke for everything he has done over the last year on EastEnders and I look forward to seeing Kate take over the creative baton."
During her reign on ‘Corrie’, Kate come under fire from several viewers for the soap’s dark plots, including serial killer Pat Phelan’s (Connor McIntyre) reign of terror, and Josh Tucker (Ryan Clayton) raping David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd).
Kate Oates is new EastEnders boss
