London, Thursday 19 January, 2012 - Sky today announced the commission of THE ANGEL, a show that gives would-be entrepreneurs a fantastic opportunity.

Following a creative brief to indies set last autumn, Stuart Murphy, Director, Sky 1 HD, has green lit Twofour (Educating Essex, The Hotel Inspector, The Story of Musicals) to produce a 5 x 60" series to be broadcast on Sky 1 HD in the Summer. Production begins immediately.

Each day, six hopefuls will be invited into the studio to compete for £100,000 worth of investment to make their business dreams come true. But scrutinising their every word, thought and move is THE ANGEL: a billionaire investor with a revolutionary business philosophy …

"With the right people on board, you can make almost anything work.”

THE ANGEL is John Caudwell, from Stoke-on-Trent,  who transformed twenty six mobile phones worth £1,350 each into a £2 billion business. Caudwell Group – best known for the high street chain Phones4U - was named the UK’s fastest growing company and by 2000 their annual turnover exceeded £1billion. Caudwell insists that this success was mostly to do with the quality of his employees – who could have been successful in any business – rather than the fast-growing nature of the mobile phone market.

Murphy said: "I'm genuinely excited by the opportunity THE ANGEL brings. Populist, audacious and life-changing, this is the first business show where the investor really has to put their money where their mouth is. Investors all say it’s about the person and not the business, and for the first time we're going to test that theory."

Melanie Leach, MD, Twofour added: "I'm thrilled to be partnering with Stuart on this project. It's a truly unique format with a simple, compelling narrative at its heart. Together we're taking big business to the shiny floor."

Caudwell commented: “Success can be down to the individual and his or her qualities, and the ability to deliver against an idea rather than the idea itself.

Bearing that in mind, the show provides a fantastic opportunity to combine analysis of business people’s abilities with an opportunity to help drive young entrepreneurial companies forward, but, best of all, it creates a vast opportunity to generate cash for charity: any profits, and all THE ANGEL’s fees, will go to my charity, Caudwell Children (@caudwellkids), which helps sick and dying – but massively inspirational – children.”

The six contestants – each carefully chosen for character, contrast and, of course, their great business idea - will be put under extreme pressure throughout a series of rounds, specifically designed to test THE ANGEL’S six golden business attributes;  drive, ambition, passion, resilience, commercial intellect and leadership.

The rounds will consist of a mixture of individual tasks, head to heads and group challenges, – and at the end of each round, after the worst performing contestants have faced a thorough grilling from THE ANGEL, one hopeful will be eliminated.   The last remaining entrepreneur each day will be awarded £100,000 of THE ANGEL’s own money in investment.

And the biggest reveal is left until last … only after he’s put his money on the table does THE ANGEL finally find out what he’s just invested in.

THE ANGEL is the latest commission for Sky 1 HD following Sky's commitment to increase its investment in original British content by 50% over the next three years. By 2014, Sky expects to invest £600 million a year in British programmes across its portfolio of channels.  This commitment follows the success of home-grown content such as entertainment hits GOT TO DANCE, AN IDIOT ABROAD and A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, dramas such as STRIKE BACK and MAD DOGS, comedies such as TROLLIED, STELLA and SPY, and factual shows such as ROSS KEMP EXTREME WORLD and the BAFTA-winning documentary FLYING MONSTERS 3D.

THE ANGEL is a Twofour production for Sky 1 HD. The factual entertainment series was commissioned by Stuart Murphy and will be exec produced by Melanie Leach and Chris Brogden (Twofour) and Antonia Hurford-Jones (Sky). Sarah Caplin is consultant executive producer, and the series producer is Kate Bates.

THE ANGEL is due to be broadcast on Sky 1 HD in the summer. To get involved visit www.sky.com/theangel.

For further information please contact

Chris Aylott - Head of PR, Sky 1 HD
T: 020 7032 2893
E: chris.aylott@bskyb.com