Prior to moving into PR I worked as newspaper journalist and documentary producer. I spent eight years as a staff reporter on the Daily Mail, followed by six years as a freelance writer for just about all the Fleet Street papers, but mainly the Times, Mail and Guardian. My final three years in journalism were spent making documentary films for BBC Newsnight and BBC 2.
Although it has been long time since I produced any journalism under my own name, here’s a selection of some of my most recent journalistic work:
BBC 2, “The Fires that Foretold Grenfell” – I produced this hour long documentary uncovering the roots of the Grenfell fire disaster
BBC Newsnight, “Airbnb and its impact on UK housing” – we expose how professional Airbnb landlords and their so-called ‘ghost hotels’ are changing local communities.
BBC Newsnight, “The mystery of the Grenfell baby” – we reveal the truth about the extraordinary story of a baby thrown to safety from the burning Grenfell tower.
BBC Newsnight, “Why I posted photos of Grenfell victim on social media“ – a Grenfell Tower neighbour explains, for the first time, how he went to prison for a momentary lapse of judgement.
BBC Newsnight, “How many people lost their lives in Grenfell Tower?” – an investigation into the conspiracies surrounding Britain’s deadliest tower block fire
Evening Standard, “Met police spent £66,000 ringing directory enquiries” – FOI data reveals massive cost to taxpayer
Guardian “Airbnb’s UK tax bill on global take from two million properties: £317,000” – UK company data (partially) lifts lid on firm’s controversial tax efficiency strategy
Guardian, “Airbnb denies liability after guests plunge two storeys from balcony” – the dangers of Airbnb’s ‘we take no responsibility’ stance exposed.
Evening Standard, “Exclusive: huge increase in noise complaints about Airbnb rentals” – FOI data shows 700 per cent year-on-year rise in Airbnb noise complaints
Sun, “Exclusive: Starbucks ramps up coffee prices at train stations” – Starbucks revealed to charge you more for a coffee when you’re in a rush…and desperate for a caffeine hit
Daily Mail “Revealed: Starbucks selling a cup of tea with more calories than a Mars Bar – or two cans of Coke” – Starbucks’ new tea range exposed as being ultra-calorific
Times “Thousands of Airbnb landlords likely to be breaking the law” – I reveal the existence of a ground breaking legal ruling that changes the game for Airbnb landlords
Evening Standard, “London estate agent offers homeowners £300 cash to put property on market” – A Brixton estate agent becomes the first in the country to offer cash just to look around your house
Times, “Times Investigation: Airbnb’s underhand lobbying tactics” – Airbnb exposed as attempting to create its own grassroots political campaign
Evening Standard, “London is generally safe – but be careful in areas populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people” – Exclusive story revealing China state airline’s racist advice to tourists
BuzzFeed, “Airbnb’s Professional Landlords are making London’s housing crisis even worse” – investigation reveals truth about so-called “sharing economy”
Heat Street, “Far-Left Pro-Corbyn group tries to hijack Labour leadership election” – suspicious “payment for voters” scheme exposed
Daily Mail, “The food’s not good enough….” – I expose UNICEF’s Syria chief as an ultra picky hotel inspector.
Heat Street, “Junior doctors paid by NHS to abandon NHS, seek new jobs” – I reveal how the NHS pays doctors to get new jobs in City.
Daily Mail, “Why Posh’s fashion empire is losing money” – A deep dive into the secrets of the Beckham finances
The Sun, “Lend it Like Beckham” – Exclusive investigation into the Beckham businesses.
Private Eye, “RADA Poor Judgement“ – RADA’s secret business deal with Saudi Arabia exposed.
The Times, “A million stolen bank cards for sale on fraud site” – Special investigation into data criminals’ increasingly brazen methods.
BBC Panorama “FIFA, Sepp Blatter and Me” – An hour long Panorama ‘special’ dedicated to the FIFA corruption scandal
Sunday Times “Anni’s case was quickly wrapped up – in bungling and lies” – how Shrien Dewani’s story became my story
Sunday Times, “Dewani trial ‘is close to collapse'” – After four years of positive media coverage, the prosecution murder case against Shrien Dewani is revealed to rather weaker than some might have expected.
Sunday Telegraph “Police wanted Dewani for his wife’s murder ‘in 48 hours’“- SA’s former police chief Bheki Cele tells me he suspected Dewani of murder BEFORE he let him return to the UK
New Statesman “Shrien Dewani is on trial for murder, not his sexuality” – why is South Africa’s prosecution service, in seeking to prove a man guilty of murder, focussing so heavily on his sexuality?
Times Higher Education “Debate of Nazi ‘race index’ tools found at Stellenbosch” – what’s the link between these grisly Nazi eyeballs and apartheid?
BBC Panorama “The Honeymoon Murder: Who Killed Anni?” – Panorama’s second, hour long investigation into Anni Dewani’s death in South Africa.
Mail on Sunday “Who REALLY murdered the honeymoon bride?“ – I uncover new evidence that prompts yet more questions of the South African police case against Shrien Dewani
Mail on Sunday “I held his hand as he drifted away….” – The remarkable story of a mother’s survival – and a father’s death – after their whale-watching boat capsized in the shark infested South Atlantic.
Sunday Telegraph “Dewani “killer” offered freedom in return for guilty plea” – One of the men accused of killing Anni Dewani has been offered the possibility of parole in return for evidence helping convict her husband
Daily Mail “Was British yachtsman murdered by crewmate?” – Seychelles police arrest crewmate after Brit sailor vanishes in middle of Indian Ocean
Daily Mail “Former City high-flyer jailed for nine years for hiring hitman” – Stalking victim Hannah Rhind’s father pursued to the other side of the world by banker who wanted him dead
London Evening Standard “First South Africa, now the US…. travel ad is new French farce” – cheeky French tourism bosses trick Londoners….again.
BBC Panorama “The Honeymoon Murder” – an hour long BBC investigation into Anni Dewani’s death in Cape Town
Daily Mail “France’s shifting sands: Tourist chiefs tempt Brits….with a picture of Cape Town” – Advertising boo boo sees French use pictures of South African beach to represent their own
Sunday Telegraph “How a young woman’s chance posting on Facebook sparked a stalker’s obsession” – a dangerous stalker brushes aside UK law to pursue his quarry to the other side of the world.
Times Higher Education Racial antidote to apartheid poison has unwanted side effects – is South Africa’s leading university storing up problems for the future in its efforts to redress apartheid’s terrible legacy?
Daily Telegraph “South Africa weather forecasters threatened with jail if predictions wrong” – they could spend 10 years in prison
Observer “Police case still incomplete as Shrien Dewani fights extradition” – The South African Police Service is revealed to be carrying out basic enquiries into Anni Dewani’s murder, over a year after it took place
Daily Mail “Zimbabwe needs me” – Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe, 87, vows to continue leading his country, despite driving it to near ruin
Live magazine “Naive? Certainly. Dishonest? Possibly. But is Shrien Dewani guilty of murdering his wife?“ – a forensic examination of the case against Shrien Dewani
Daily Mail “Revealed after 60 years – the face of the real Green Lady”– The subject of Vladimir Tretchikoff’s kitsch classic portrait is revealed as South African Monika Pon