Vasha Wallace Exits Fremantle After 22 Years to Launch Consulting Career

Vasha Wallace, the executive who spent more than two decades acquiring and shaping some of television's most-travelled unscripted formats, is leaving Fremantle.

Wallace, who held the title of Executive VP of Global Acquisitions and Development, told colleagues in an internal note seen by Deadline that she will hand over her responsibilities in September before exiting to become an international consultant. She plans to build what she described as a portfolio career centred on consulting in international television.

Her departure closes a 22-year chapter. Wallace joined the RTL-owned production and distribution group in 2004, when it still operated under the name FremantleMedia. She began her career across the world at Sky TV in New Zealand before making the move into global format deals.

At Fremantle, Wallace's name became attached to a striking run of shows that crossed borders. She developed and distributed titles including Farmer Wants a Wife, The Apprentice and Project Runway, and fronted multi-territory production deals on The Masked Singer, The Traitors and I Can See Your Voice. She also represented The Masked Dancer, a format that has been distributed to more than 50 countries. More recently, she was set to co-develop the comedy competition format Special Delivery, unveiled by Fremantle in February 2026.

The acquisition side of her remit was equally busy. Wallace oversaw deals that brought global rights to formats including the Japanese comedy Freeze and the reality format House of Secrets. Fremantle also acquired the global format rights — outside of Ireland — to the Irish entertainment format The Great Giveback during her tenure.

Her exit follows a period of leadership change at the top of Fremantle's entertainment division. Andrew Llinares departed his role as global entertainment boss, with Ben Crompton later hired as his replacement. Wallace's departure adds another layer to that reshuffle, though her move is framed as a personal decision to strike out on her own rather than part of a wider restructure.

For the global format market — the business of selling and adapting television show templates across countries — Wallace has been a familiar presence at the meetings and markets where deals get done. Her move to consulting means she will likely remain in that orbit, just from a different seat at the table.