A furious internal memo from a leading television producer threatening to ban birthday celebrations in the office has been circulated to television companies around the world.

Amanda Ross produces the Richard & Judy show for Channel 4 and is described as the most powerful woman in British publishing, having created its influential book club. The book club is credited with selling more than 10 million books and generating £60 million for publishers. She runs Cactus TV with her husband, Simon Ross, brother of Jonathan, the TV presenter.

Mrs Ross sent the e-mail after she missed out on signing a card for a member of staff.

In it she wrote: “I did not get to see or sign Maryam’s card. Can I remind you that the Cactus Birthday tradition is mine, and I effectively pay for it, so if you can’t make it happen that I get to sign the card then I will stop it.”

She then demands an investigation to find out who failed to deliver the card for her to sign.

The e-mail was written 18 months ago and is believed to have been leaked to television companies around the world by a disgruntled former employee.

Ms Ross told The Times last night: “I am actually signing a birthday card for Nadia right now — my assistant left the correct space for my signature and the two dogs. I was reacting to a catalogue of procedural breakdowns. At Cactus we have a system where we note everyone’s birthdays, I have a pile of birthday cards in my drawer – which I buy – and everyone gets a nice cake.

“We employ runners to monitor the birthdays and circulate the cards for signing, but they forgot on a consistent basis. Maryam was very upset that Simon and I hadn’t wished her ‘happy birthday’.

“I suggested to the runners they employ a system where they draw a pencil line in the middle of the card so they wouldn’t forget. These runners all want to get promotion and work in television but how can you if you can’t complete a basic task like this?”

Mrs Ross said that her assistant now coordinated the birthday cards and that the system was running smoothly. Far from being an “angry boss”, she said that she had only ever fired off three critical emails, of which this was one.

She added: “Isn’t it nice that someone who is the head of the company actually cares about staff and wants them to have a nice birthday?”

Cactus hit the headlines recently over You Say We Pay, a phone-in game on the Richard & Judy show. It emerged that viewers were encouraged to call the premium-rate line after winners had already been selected by computer.

A comment on the Holy Moly celebrity gossip sitesaid of Mrs Ross’s email: “This birthday card system is clearly a mess. Why not set up a premium-rate phoneline instead, which employees can call to leave their birthday greetings?”

‘I care about you all and I’m upset’

To: Cactus Runners Subject: FW: THANK YOU

I did not get to see or sign Maryam’s card. Can I remind you that the Cactus Birthday tradition is mine, and I effectively pay for it, so if you can’t make it happen that I get to sign the card then I will stop it. To stop this happening in future, you are not to circulate any cards to anyone before I have signed them. What happened today? Did Maryam get a card with a space in the middle? No? Then who didn’t do their job? This sounds draconian but you have forced me to be that way, as you cannot make the simple system work. I am upset about this as I implemented the birthday tradition to show staff Simon and I care about them. I am upset I didn’t sign Maryam’s card.

Amanda Ross Managing Director Richard & Judy — Live every weekday on Channel 4 at 5pm from 5th September!

Times Recommends

• Minister in talks with Saudis to protect creditors
• Premier Inn hits back in £29-a-room row
• Bankers hit back at 'populist' bonus supertax