Dianne Gwenllian Nelmes (born 6 March 1951)[1] is a British former television executive and television producer, who created well-known ITV light entertainment television series.
She attended Holt County Girls' Grammar School (since September 1974 the comprehensive The Holt School) in Wokingham, where in 1970 she gained A-levels in Economics, English Literature, and History.
She was the editor of the Newcastle University student newspaper from October to November 1972, where in 1973 she gained a degree in economics and politics. She was president of the Newcastle University Students' Union from 1973 to 1974.
She started as a writer for the Newcastle Journal.
She was with the BBC for four years from 1978 to 1983, with Look North at Newcastle. She joined Granada in 1983.[2]
At Granada she was responsible for Stars in their Eyes and You've Been Framed.[3] [4]
In January 1992 she became head of news and regional programmes for ITV in the south and south-east.[5] But in late 1992, she returned to Granada, becoming head of a new factual department, replacing Stuart Prebble.[6] Stuart Prebble had also been student union president of Newcastle University, and Dianne had replaced him, when he had moved on from Look North; Prebble had been the student newspaper editor in October 1971.[7] in this new department she worked with Charles Tremayne.[8]
In autumn 1996 she launched Granada Sky Broadcasting (since 2004 it was called ITV Digital Channels).[9]
In late 1997 she became ITV's head of daytime broadcasting, introducing many new programmes on 23 March 1998.[10]
In March 2000 became head of documentaries at ITV, being replaced by Maureen Duffy, from the BBC, as head of ITV Daytime from July 2000.[11]
She married another ITV producer in 1986.[12]