Fiona Eastwood, COO of Merlin Entertainments, has been announced as interim CEO, following the departure of Scott O'Neil, who leaves the business at the end of 2024 after only two years in the role.

Eastwood said: “Merlin is a world class company with an exciting year ahead, including the opening of Legoland Shanghai, our first Legoland park in China, and Peppa Pig Theme Park in Dallas.

"Our business is led by an extraordinarily talented, innovative and inspiring management team and I look forward to working closely with them to execute our strategy and to continue to deliver exceptional experiences to our guests.”

Roland Hernandez, chair of Merlin Entertainments, commented: “Fiona Eastwood has nearly a decade of experience at Merlin Entertainments and has built a reputation throughout the industry as a world-class leader. Her prior role as COO of the company puts her in an ideal position to lead this transition and build on Merlin’s mission to be the greatest place to work and play.

“Merlin has a proven track record of working with leading IP and brands across its estate, establishing successful partnerships to bring these to life in key locations across the world," He said, "Our investment across both our existing estate and new openings, from our Peppa Pig theme parks to new rollercoasters such as Hyperia at Thorpe Park, means we're ideally placed to delight guests from toddlers to thrill-seekers."

During his time at Merlin, O’Neil oversaw the founding of a partnership with Minecraft to "bring the world’s best-selling game to life in the real world", with the first permanent physical experiences planned for locations in the UK and US. O'Neil took over from founder Nick Varney on his retirement in November 2022.

It's reported that O'Neil is heading back to the world of sport, on which the majority of his career has been focused, with his appointment as CEO of controversial Saudi-based LIV Golf imminent.