Kate Oates has been appointed as EastEnders’ new senior executive producer, after she quit Coronation Street following weeks of criticism for dark storylines.
The 39-year-old is set to replace the BBC soap’s temporary boss John Yorke, who was brought in following Sean O’Connor’s surprise departure last year.
Kate’s hiring comes after she exited Corrie in June following two years as the soap’s producer, where she was the mind behind some of the soap’s most high-profile plots, including Bethany Platt’s grooming ordeal and Aidan Connor’s suicide.
New face: Kate Oates has been appointed as EastEnders’ new executive producer, after quitting Coronation Street earlier this year following weeks of criticism for dark story lines
On the hiring 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.’
As well as the Albert Square favourite, Kate will also oversee BBC’s medical dramas Casualty and Holby City.

Moving on: It was announced on Wednesday that Kate will be at the helm of EastEnders, as well as the BBC’s medical dramas Casualty and Holby City

Exciting: The 39-year-old is joining the Albert Square soap that, despite a well-received Christmas Day episode many bemoan has ‘boring’ plots
Kate announced earlier this year that she would be stepping down from her job as Corrie producer after two years in the job.
During that time she was the subject of much fan vitriol and acclaim, after some complained the Manchester-based show had become too dark.
Some of her most high-profile storylines included David Platt’s rape – which played out earlier this year when the long-serving character was the victim of a horrific assault by the sinister Josh Tucker.

Controversial: During her two-year stint as Corrie producer, Kate was the centre of much fan criticism, as they claimed that storylines such as David Platt’s rape (above) was too dark

Mixed: However other issue plots such as Aidan Connor’s suicide (above) were praised by fans for highlighting the topic of male mental health
Another was the suicide of Aidan Connor, which did receive praise from fans for highlighting the issue of male mental health, and actor Shayne Ward was lauded for his performance.
However Pat Phelan’s reign of terror – which concluded just weeks before Kate’s exit from the soap with his grisly death via. stabbing – was accused of being a step too far by many viewers due to its gory violence – though its darkest scenes were aired post-watershed.
Bethany Platt’s grooming ordeal also received much praise for highlighting a taboo subject, though others again said the soap went too far.

Over the top: Pat Phelan’s reign of terror (above) was lauded as being too violent for pre-watershed viewing, with some saying the show went too far

Important: One of Kate’s most high-profile story lines was the grooming of Bethany Platt, with some fans claiming the show went too far
Before her stint on Corrie, Kate was series producer on Emmerdale from 2013 to 2016, and worked on many story lines that earned much praise, including the Hotten bypass crash and Ashley Thomas’ battle with dementia.
John was brought in to temporarily helm EastEnders following Sean’s departure last year, which came following many complaints from viewers for the show’s ‘boring’ plots and his plan to re-cast legendary character Michelle Fowler.
Since his return, reception for his storylines has again been mixed, though it’s Christmas Day episode – which saw Lauren and Abi Branning fall from the Queen Vic roof after a furious showdown with their father Max – was acclaimed as one of its best for many years.

On the up: Kate will join EastEnders later this year, as the soap’s current interim producer John Yorke will depart by the end of 2018

Gone: John took over as EastEnders boss temporarily last year, following the surprise departure of Sean O’Connor in 2017 (above)
CCO of BBC Studios Mark Linsey, 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.’

Acclaimed: Kate was also the series producer at Emmerdale from 2013 to 2016, with the Hotten bypass crash extremely well-received by soap fans

Touching: Ashley Thomas’ battle with dementia was also acclaimed by viewers, as this tied into the disaster plot