{"id":19189,"date":"2025-06-27T13:45:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T13:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/19189\/"},"modified":"2025-06-27T13:45:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T13:45:10","slug":"paramount-layoffs-hit-uk-as-mtv-axes-gonzo-fresh-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/19189\/","title":{"rendered":"Paramount Layoffs Hit UK As MTV Axes ‘Gonzo’ & ‘Fresh Out’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tEXCLUSIVE: <\/strong>The layoffs<\/a> sweeping across Paramount<\/a> Global this month have hit the UK.<\/p>\n

\n\tParamount-owned MTV<\/a> UK is axing original shows Gonzo<\/a> and Fresh Out UK<\/a> and the majority of their production staff are exiting.<\/p>\n

\n\tWe are also told layoffs have hit the MTV talent team, known internally as TAM, and some in Paramount UK<\/a>\u2018s original production team, which had already slimmed down majorly two years ago<\/a>. The total number being made redundant is in double figures, we understand.<\/p>\n

\n\tCanceling Gonzo and Fresh Out UK virtually spells the end for originals on the MTV UK music channels, although we understand some production staff remain to work on the broadcast of Isle of MTV Malta, the annual music festival, along with some digital content. We understand the move broadly represents a shift towards global content over local originals.<\/p>\n

\n\tHosted by Jack Saunders and Becca Dudley, Gonzo has been on for more than two decades and sees the presenters interview bands and artists. Fresh Out similarly showcases new music and sees artists take part in interviews, games and live performances.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe cancelation of the shows feels something of an end of an era for lovers of MTV UK\u2019s music-focused originals, though the main MTV channel remains active and MTV digital content is being amplified both on social platforms and Paramount+.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cMTV UK is sunsetting local series\u00a0Gonzo\u00a0and\u00a0Fresh Out UK\u00a0beginning this month,\u201d said a Paramount spokesman. \u201cWe are deeply grateful to our hosts Jack Saunders and Becca Dudley and the incredibly talented artists who have been a part of these series, as well as the teams who have brought them to life. Fans can continue to enjoy global music shows like the MTV VMAs, Stans and Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now on MTV and Paramount+, alongside digital music content on our MTV UK social channels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe news comes two weeks after Paramount said it would be shedding 3.5% of its workforce<\/a>, a year after making 15% redundant.<\/p>\n

\n\tAnnouncing those latest layoffs, Paramount Co-CEO Chris McCarthy told staff they \u201cmay also result in some impacts to our workforce outside the U.S. over time,\u201d which have clearly now come to pass. Paramount+ and Channel 5\u2019s UK teams are not impacted by today\u2019s news, though one source said Paramount was looking into the entertainment channels suite.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn 2023, Paramount shuttered the UK unscripted division of its international production arm, which made the likes of\u00a0Catfish UK\u00a0and\u00a0True Life Crime, pivoting to scripted.<\/p>\n

\n\tParamount remains in a protracted waiting game as it looks to close its $8B merger with Skydance Media, which has dragged into the second half of the year as the companies wait for FCC approval.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: The layoffs sweeping across Paramount Global this month have hit the UK. Paramount-owned MTV UK is axing…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":19190,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[171,18076,18077,15876,18078,15329,16275,18079,173,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-19189","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-fresh-out-uk","10":"tag-gonzo","11":"tag-layoffs","12":"tag-mtv","13":"tag-paramount","14":"tag-paramount-global","15":"tag-paramount-uk","16":"tag-tv","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114755634702943606","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}