FERGIE LANDS A TV DEAL

HandMade will turn Sarah Ferguson’s Tea For Ruby, where a little girl has tea with the Queen, and Little Red into animated series .

“She is a very talented lady and we hope to make a lot of money,” said chairman Patrick Meehan. The shows will be made by HandMade’s new Kids division after the firm bought US studio Animated Collective and invested in a joint venture with National Geographic.

It plans to raise £17million in a share placing. “This will make us the world’s largest independent children’s production company,” said Meehan. “We wanted to diversify and children’s programming is very lucrative.”

HandMade, founded by George Harrison, reported annual revenues up from £1.93million to £4.85million. Meehan said: “Cinema attendances are strong. Even in recession the entertainment business goes on.”

Ferguson will also present a documentary re-tracing the journeys of female explorers such as Gertrude Bell.