Channel 5 Productions has already lined up a seven part cookery format starring restauranteur Marco Pierre White which is executive produced by Louise Rainbow, as well as a John Barrowman fronted documentary about 1980s hit Dallas.

Desmond is known to like the idea of C5 creating its own productions, in particular because it means that the broadcaster will own the IP to the shows.

However, the move is a risk because it means that C5 will have to take on the fixed cost of employing a production unit, rather than outsourcing all programme-making to indies as it has done since the channel launched in 1997.

The move will monitored closely by independent producers who will now be competing with C5’s inhouse team for commissions.

John McVay, chief executive of producers alliance Pact, said: “Technically there is nothing to stop C5 having inhouse production - there never has been.”

He added: “But what inhouse production cannot do is in any form replicate, duplicate or copy any independent producers' programmes - and if there is any attempt to do that we will obviously side very firmly with our members' interests on that.

“We are also monitoring if there is any attempt to use inhouse production to reduce the payments they [C5] make to independent producers for their programmes. Then we will be straightaway to Ofcom because the published tariffs are meant to apply to all suppliers - whether that is inhouse or independents.”