Journalism
I've had hundreds of major features, columns and blogs published in UK newspapers and magazines including The Telegraph, Times, Sunday Times, Independent, Express, Sunday Express, Guardian, Spectator, Critic, Oldie, New Statesman, Mail, Observer, Mirror, The Author and many more, plus publications in the US, Ireland and Australia. I have extensive broadcasting experience, with many appearances as a guest on BBC radio (including Radio 4 and 5 Live); have been credited on TV documentaries; and aged 20 presented a live TV show on Channel 4.
Some of my published features and blogs:
“Are people with Alzheimer’s being denied justice?” Spectator, 3 December 2023
"I thought I was OK... breadwinner" iNews, 7 July, 2023
"No, Joe, you haven't a clue..." Times, 14 April, 2023
"Bring back licences for dogs," Times, 17 January 2023
"A new Alzheimer's drug is great," Independent, 30 November 2022
"True beauty comes from within," Times, 25 August 2022
"In defence of package holidays," The Critic, 13 August 2022
"You don't need to like quidditch to back JK Rowling", Times, 22 July 2022
"The surprising appeal of Sweden's second largest city", Spectator, 28 June 2022
"Has my Yorkshire grit held me back?" Times, 15 June 2022
"It's idiotic to send willing workers all the way to Rwanda", Times, 19 April 2022
"Does the BBC know what it means by 'working class'?", Times, 1 April 2022
"Reparations for slavery won't right wrongs of the past", Times, 23 March 2022
"No, THIS is hardcore", The Critic, 21 March 2022
"Spare a thought for generation sandwich", Spectator, 21 March 2022
"Teenagers get a bad press", Independent, 18 February 2022
"...Racist, sexist claims... as the greats," Times, 17 January 2022
"Opening the anthology", The Author, Winter 2021
"There is risk in not spending Christmas with my elderly parents", Telegraph, 20 December 2021
"The longest night of my life", The Critic, 27 November 2021
"Violence doesn't pay", The Critic, 14 October 2021
"Universities should teach, not lecture on 'white privilege'," Times, 30 September 2021
"Baby boomers had it so easy?", Times, 19 September 2021
"Should have gone to Mallorca", Independent, 26 August 2021
“England's inspiring team offers us hope of a joyful summer”, Express, 9 July 2021
"What do XR have against a free press?", Spectator, 29 June 2021
"Ian Wright's bravery in forgiving his tormentor", Spectator, 6 May 2021
"Brexit and gender are off limits for aspiring authors", Spectator, 7 March 2021
"The tragedy behind every Covid death", Spectator, 24 January 2021
"Dementia brings a unique pain... lockdown", Spectator, 8 January 2021
"Do I risk giving my parents Covid?", Telegraph, 18 December 2020
"In defence of Millwall," Spectator, 7 December 2020
"What has Ted Hughes's ancestor got to do with his poetry?", Spectator, 24 November 2020
"Why is the free school meals debate so toxic?", Spectator, 27 October 2020
"Sometimes bending the law is the right thing to do," Spectator, 12 October 2020
"Singing in a mask... pandemic," Telegraph, 25 September 2020
"Snarling intolerance of my fellow lefties," Telegraph, 8 September 2020
"Time to get over divisive notions about race", Telegraph, 11 June 2020
"Can we stop with the VE Day moral relativism?" Spectator, 7 May 2020
"This 'new normal' cannot become permanent", Telegraph, 20 April 2020
"The excesses of the last week were not a one-off," Telegraph, 1 March 2020
"Coronavirus might kill my mum", Telegraph, 20 March 2020
"Cat run over by 250 Tube trains survives", Sunday Express, 9 February 2020
"The cretinous consensus of the new woke Left", Telegraph, 22 January 2020
"There's more to Islington than Corbyn and Ocado", Spectator, 16 January 2020
"Labour must clear out its upper class Trots," Telegraph, 16 December 2019
"It's vital that the parties get to grips with social care", Telegraph, 20 November 2019
"You say you wanna revolution", Culture Crush, November 2019
"Home-swapping lets me trade in my London flat", Metro, 9 November 2019
"God Save the Queen", Culture Crush, October 2019
"David Smith Rerospective", Artinfo/Modern Painters, August 2019
"Scandal & Delight", The Author, Summer 2019
"Where have all the punk rockers gone?", Culture Crush, June 2019
"The Wonders of Oz", Daily Mail, 6 February 2019
"People who don't live in council houses", Spectator magazine, 19 January 2019
"I took a trip down memory lane - literally", Independent, 25 November 2018
"Ian Davenport lines up colourful vision", Blouin Art Info, 24 September 2018
"How I survived a holiday from Hell", Independent, 21 August 2018
"Secrets and lies... Battle for Britain", Sunday Express, 19 August 2018
"I'm an older dad but was raised by a teenage mum", Independent, 4 August 2018
"Hiking trip left me thinking about mortality", Independent, 24 July 2018
"Perils of being a World Cup widower", Sunday Express, 8 July 2018
"Being a northerner is a state of mind", Sunday Express, 1 July 2018
"Animal Art at Turner Contemporary", Blouin Art Info, 12 June 2018
"The future generation is utterly baffling", Independent 28 May 2018
"I live in a five bedroom council house", Independent, 12 May 2018
"Outcry is all much Apu about nothing", Sunday Express, 29 April 2018
"Dior Meets Westwood, Fashion Meets Nature", Blouin Art Info, 18 April 2018
"Golden Age of Luxury Ocean Liners", Blouin Art Info, 12 April 2018
"Employers who don't reply," The Oldie, May 2018
"The destructive nature of perfection," Spectator, 21 February 2018​
"Men and women of the world, unite!", Spectator, 7 February 2018
"In defence of extreme moderation," Spectator, 23 January 2018
"London's crime map tells a damning tale", Spectator 6 January 2018
"All my Huffington Posts" (2013-2017)
"This Christmas, I'm standing up to Zoella", Spectator, 12 December 2017
"Lloyds is forcing people into debt", Spectator, 8 November 2017
"Netflix was wrong to fire Kevin Spacey", Spectator, 5 November 2017
"My nan's house will probably be sold..." New Statesman, 18 October 2017
"Awardees Join Blouin Creative Leadership Summit Debate", 9 October 2017
"California Revisited", Spectator, 13 September 2017
"Why do employers... appallingly?" Spectator, 3 August 2017
"More on being a stay-at-home dad", Independent, 28 May 2017
"Being a stay-at-home dad", Independent, 7 May 2017
"I voted for Corbyn to become leader," Independent, 27 April 2017
"The nightmare of school holidays," Spectator, 6 April 2017
"How it feels to give up alcohol," Sunday Times Mag, 29 January 2017
"Freedom is our best weapon against Isis," Spectator, 25 August 2016
"Why the generation gap is a myth," Spectator, 7 August 2016
"The era of political labels has ended," Spectator, 16 July 2016
"Brexit regrets? Yes - I wish I'd voted leave," Spectator, 5 July 2016
"Take the winding road" travel feature, Times, 29 August 2015
"BeautyCon and the pink temple of doom", IB Times, 26 May 2015
"The pensioners with parents", IB Times, 22 December 2014
"Jacobson, Heller and reflections on 'real life'," Independent, 27 Nov 2014
"Leslie James Piggott's obituary", Guardian, 5 February 2014
"A weekend in... Raasay and Skye", Times, 16 February 2013
"Will the bedroom tax bring a rush to swap?", Standard, 30 January 2013
"Moderates must tame wild rebels", Sunday Express, 27 January 2013
"Let's raise a toast to alcohol", Guardian, 29 October 2012
"Find Santa on his home patch", Times, 13 October 2012
"Save 'boring' summer holidays", Sunday Express, 19 August 2012
"Olympics, you looked better on the telly", Independent, 13 August 2012
"Trivial crimes still haunt us", Sunday Express, 12 August 2012
"My abrupt end to TV stardom", Independent, 16 July 2012
"When charity violates home", Sunday Express, 15 July 2012
"Scrapheap Challenge", The Times, 5 June 2012
"..Child's mobile giving them cancer?", Sunday Express, 22 April 2012
"Gibraltar's a true British favourite", Daily Mail, 28 July 2011
"Shouldn't he be in school?", Times, 22 July 2011
"Cancer in the classroom", Times, 8 July 2011
"It shouldn't be treason to criticise the NHS", spiked, 6 June 2011
"Betrayal of our homeless youth", Sunday Express, 12 December 2010
"The lost boys of Hebden Bridge", Times, 6 February 2010
"Word on the street", Independent, 26 January 2010
"The future of affordable housing", Guardian, 25 November 2009
"A London-for-Paris homeswap", Times, 17 October 2009
"UK's Vioxx users call for justice", Times, 31August 2009
"The dad dilemma", Times, 7 July 2009
"Just stop worrying and enjoy the sun", Daily Express, 30 June 2009
"Pupils rally behind teacher", Guardian, 23 March 2009
"Banks are in crisis", Times, 19 August 2008
"What's the point of literary agents?", Guardian, 15 August 2008
"Dust Storm", Telegraph, 6 October 2007
"Teetotalitarians drive me to drink", spiked, 18 August 2005
"Beauty's not skin deep", Independent, 26 October 2004
"Oh come all ye faithful", Big Issue, 31 May 2004
"Maternal Flame", Big Issue, 6 October 2003
"Confessions of a teenage pimp", Ice Magazine, December 2002
"Terrace Wars", Ice Magazine, November 2002
"Something to write home about", TNT Magazine, 14 October 2002
"Men and miscarriage", Cosmopolitan, August 2002
"Drooping Passions", She, July 2002
"Life's a riot", Ice Magazine, July 2002
"Needle City", Ice Magazine, May 2002
"e-Publish and be damned", Guardian, 4 December 2000
"Whizz kids", Company Magazine, November 1998
"Let's go to the hop," Independent, 11 September 1998
"Kicks in the ghoulies", Time Out, 7 January 1998
"Kizzi and tell", Guardian, 17 November 1997
Various news items, Time Out, 1997
"See no evil", Time Out, 20 August 1997
"Don't give freelancers the brush-off", Press Gazette, 15 August 1997
"Uncle Harry", Time Out, 25 June 1997
"The Boy Business" (doc), Network First, ITV, April 1997
"Crack and ruin", Time Out, 26 March 1997
"Men behaving badly", Star, 19 July 1997
"Careers column", RASP, 1996
"A book of two halves", RASP, 1996
"Egged on by a battery of critics", Guardian, 12 October 1990
"Making tracks to Europe", Observer, 12 February 1989
"Wanted: human guinea pigs", Observer, 2 October 1988
"Drugs and sex craze", Observer, 28 August 1988
"Pure genius", New Australasian Magazine, 1988
"Dublin's dark side", Irish Post, 19 March 1988
"Gimme shelter", City Limits, 17 March 1988
"Strong stuff at the White Lion", Guardian, 16 March 1988
"World in Action", ITV, 1988
"Capital idea", Hot Press, 1988
"INLA seeks new support", City Limits, 28 January 1988
"Irish World", 1987-8
"I don't back violence, but..." Observer, 27 December 1987
"High rise hopes", The Guardian, 23 December 1987
"Down and out in the 33rd County", Sunday Tribune, 19 July 1987
"The idiot", The Hype, 1987
"Land of Holy Joy", FSM, 1987
"Bring out the Brandon", FSM, 1987
Various reviews, FSM, 1987
"When two tribes go to war", FSM, 1987
"Why TS?", FSM, 1987
"Why I Won’t Vote Tory", City Limits, 28 May 1987