She was brought into the company from Channel 4 when Dawn Airey took over as director of Sky Networks.

BBC: Sky One 'appoints new head'

Airey was reportedly offered a job combining both roles, then went off for three weeks' holiday to think about it.

BBC: ITV still headhunting

But John Airey at the Pro-life Alliance told BBC News Online that the study in the Netherlands "shows how mistaken the Dutch are".

BBC: Euthanasia deaths 'not easy'

"Sources" claim Carlton and Granada detected that Airey might have been wavering a fortnight ago, and so began searching for a second-choice candidate.

BBC: ITV still headhunting

But not for the first time Carlton and Granada have been wrong-footed by Sky, whose chief executive Tony Ball has persuaded Airey instead to accept a job as managing director of Sky Networks.

BBC: ITV still headhunting