How much actors can make from residuals revealed – after Everybody Loves Raymond fans learnt Ray Romano makes $18M a year from repeats alone
Daily Mail
Lisa Kudrow (and co-stars): $20M a year for Friends:
She might not have filmed a single scene in 22 years but Friends is still a phenomenal money-spinner for actress Lisa Kudrow.
Recently, when asked why she and her four surviving co-stars earn $20 m a year from reruns of the American series, Kudrow, 62, credited her dippy onscreen alter ego, quipping: ‘Because Phoebe Buffay was so great?’
But nerves of steel and a crack team of agents and lawyers were arguably more important in securing the sort of syndication rights that mean Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer never have to work again.
After all, says celebrity public relations consultant Mark Borkowski: ‘It is show [i]business[i] – and there’s nothing more brutal than getting a deal.’
However, he stresses, ‘it really is the lucky few who get millions’.
Why unstoppable Maya Jama’s ‘substantial’ television strategies have Love Island employers scared
NY Morning Star
In 2015, the environmentally friendly brand name– which developed milk from yellow split peas– revealed 38% development, and it’s most likely to discover more success, thanks to a brand-new offer with Joe & & The Juice, which released last month.
What’s more, in a cooperation fronted by Maya in a striking blonde wig, she released Maya’s Iced Matcha, consisting of black sesame paste, collagen and Sproud milk.
” Maya has a fantastic group around her and has actually connected herself to some terrific tasks,” states PR expert Mark Borkowski. “She appears to be making all the right choices and is taking one action at a time.”
‘He’s a natural’: Andy Burnham’s allies give his social media style a thumbs-up
The Guardian
Subtle it isn’t, but it does bear the hallmarks of a competent communicator, said the PR consultant Mark Borkowski. “He’s a natural,” said the media analyst. “He comes across as fearless and he looks comfortable in his own skin.”
Which is a marked contrast to the man whose job he wants to nab, he added. “[Keir] Starmer has struggled to project that same authenticity, and in the modern age you have to be a brilliant communicator as well as being good at your job.”
World’s most valuable football match descends into £300m shambles due to Spygate
The Mirror
It’s known as the ‘most valuable football match in the world’ as it’s worth £300m to the victors who win promotion to the lucrative Premier League with increased TV rights, hospitality and advertising. It shows how important promotion is – even losing every game and finishing bottom secures any club £109m.
Public relations consultant Mark Borkowski said: “This will have ramifications for years to come. It will have a huge impact on Southampton Football Club.
“I feel so sorry for the Southampton fans. Southampton haven’t handled this well. Those goal celebrations with the binoculars … it’s like the whole club knew. There’s a sense of shock and a real level of stupidity. They can recover from this but they need to regain the trust of their fans.”
Author and financial expert Kieran Maguire said that not going up will be a huge financial blow. Last night Southampton made a last ditch appeal to try and change the decision which will see Hull play Middlesbrough on Saturday.
World’s most valuable football match descends into £300m shambles due to Spygate – The Mirror
Three Strictly presenters? Here’s what could go wrong
The Telegraph
PR expert Mark Borkowski isn’t bowled over by those particular choices. “It’s casting by ChatGPT,” he asserts. So, how would these new faces blend into the ballroom competition? A Strictly triple act might be a genius solution. Or, in the words of Craig Revel Horwood, it could be a dance disahhhster.
Three Strictly Come Dancing hosts? Here’s what could go wrong
‘Married at First Sight’ allegations shock UK TV industry
Financial Times
MAFS UK became the most watched British commercial on-demand streaming title in 2024, according to Channel 4. It has been particularly important for the E4 streaming service in attracting younger audiences, increasingly turning to platforms such as Netflix, and generating massive engagement on social media. It has even spawned an official podcast in the UK.
Mark Borkowski, a veteran British entertainment PR consultant, said: “For years, reality TV has sold itself as a democratic route to fame. But underneath it sits something much older and uglier: the atavistic Colosseum impulse.”
He predicted the crisis would not “kill reality TV” but it “will mean reality TV’s next phase will have to be less venal”.
Women’s football is discovering the perils of a harsh spotlight
The Observer
The decision to launch an Instagram page with her boyfriend of under a month at the same time as Chelsea were losing 3-2 to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, with Bright watching on, also felt like another faux pas.
“Part of the reason things are going wrong is you haven’t got the sort of talent around these people to develop careers,” says public relations consultant Mark Borkowski.
“It’s a dance. You don’t want to be forgotten. It’s a short career. What you do beyond that is given by the audience you drum up, and the tools to drum up that audience must never be too desperate. It’s a dangerous tightrope.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Burning Through Fortune — $3M Security, $38M Legal Bills and ‘Only 5 Years Left’ Before Lifestyle Crash
Radar Online
PR guru Mark Borkowski pointed out that the duo hitching their brand to rehashing old royal resentments is a tired narrative that no longer brings in the big bucks.
“There’s only so much money you can make out of grievance, and they have exhausted the assets that they have. The diminishing returns became the narrative,” he explained. “Show business in America now is based on what is the commercial return on investment. One failure and out.”
Prince Harry & Meghan Burning Through Fortune With Lifestyle Crash Ahead
Football Focus is a victim of BBC virtue-signalling’: Experts blame show’s demise on ‘lightweight presenters’ hired to fit BBC’s ‘world view’ amid exodus of white male, middle-aged stars
Daily Mail
It has been alleged that Ms Scott has felt bruised by BBC inquests into its declining performance, which has seen viewing figures almost halve while she has been at the helm.
Mark Borkowski, one of the UK’s leading PR gurus and brand experts, told the Daily Mail today: ‘The virtue signalling at Football Focus has caught up with the BBC’.
He said the plunging viewing figures ‘shows the BBC were trying to do something for the audience that they didn’t want’.
‘It was so lightweight and presented by people who didn’t have any personality but fitted the BBC’s world view’, he said.
‘These shows are being shaped by an agenda when all people want is to be entertained. There is this blandness and mediocrity that pervades iconic programmes like Football Focus’.
Celebrated former Football Focus host Bob Wilson today insisted Alex Scott had done ‘be a really good job’ as presenter.
Anna Wintour’s Vogue cover is more than a cameo – it’s a power play
The Guardian
Mark Borkowski, a press consultant and author, describes Wintour’s appearance on the cover as “a hell of a smart move”. “This is very much about Wintour not letting go of her power,” he says. “A lot of people in these types of jobs recognise they are sitting in a chair that has power. Wintour doesn’t believe that. She believes she is the power. She’s not a personality that’s going to fade away into the background.”
Even the ideation of the cover hints at the authority Wintour still wields. Writing in her editor’s letter, Malle outlines how it came about. She was in the backseat of Wintour’s personal town car (a nice power play by Wintour, and reminiscent of the first film) running ideas for the next batch of covers past her (a tacit hint that all the big decisions still need to be approved by Wintour) when Malle first suggested the idea. Wintour initially shot it down, saying: “That’s very flattering, Chloe, but it’s not really my style.” It then, so the story goes, fell to Streep to persuade her. Wintour called the Hollywood star directly (another not-so-subtle power move).
Wintour was dismissive of the first film when it came out in 2006. Although she did attend the premiere – wearing Prada, no less – she was cagey about her reaction. In 2024, at the opening of the musical version in London, she told the BBC that it was “for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly”.
However, more recently she has seemed happier to engage, suggesting that Priestly is very much “a caricature” and a highly enjoyable and very fun one at that. The various social media videos that accompany the shoot drive this idea home. Streep stays in character, while Wintour plays herself. We see her fumble her lines and get the giggles. She is warm and witty, a sharp contrast to the icy Priestly.
We first saw her toy with the idea at the Oscars in March, where she jokingly referred to Anne Hathaway as “Emily”, a nod to Emily Blunt’s character in the film. Meanwhile, the next read in the Vogue Book Club is the novel by Lauren Weisberger that inspired the film. Borkowski suggests these stunts hint that Wintour is beginning to separate herself from brand Vogue. “Her life has been defined by Vogue,” he says. “Back in the day she was recognisable by a very distinctive haircut and a pair of dark glasses. She was a cypher. But now it’s all about the narrative of the personal brand.” She is, he says, “getting involved in the film because she sees it as something that can establish Anna Wintour, the brand”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Brand Crisis: Why They’re Struggling in Hollywood and What’s Next (Exclusive)
US Weekly
PR expert Mark Borkowski says the public wants clarity. “When a brand arrives and says, ‘We are many things, all of them meaningful,’ the audience hears: ‘Work it out yourself.’ And they don’t,” he adds. Brand and PR expert Natalie Trice believes that while “there’s still strong public interest in what Meghan does,” her constantly changing stance is problematic. “Is [her thing] jam? Is it fashion? Is it charity work? Yes, you can do it all — but that true passion needs to be clear.” The second source, however, contends that they have various types of projects that speak to their interests.
The first source says their projects to date “have [too] narrow [of an] appeal.” In addition to With Love, Meghan, Netflix also aired Polo, Harry’s 2024 docuseries about his friend Nacho Figueras, and 2023’s Heart of Invictus, a docuseries centered around the Invictus Games, his global sporting event for wounded service members. Their next TV series is set to be about polo, and they just recently sold Cookie Queens — a documentary about Girl Scouts — which they executive-produced.
‘You’re barred..!’
The Eye. Wales
The announcement was made after it emerged that the shocking reported comeback by Edwards, had been slammed.
Public Relations (PR) expert Mark Borkowski warned that Edwards’ photographic display of himself in this supposed return risked appearing insensitive and deliberately provocative, proclaiming: “A picture like this tells you he wants to be seen again. But one stylish photograph can’t rewrite the past. It risks looking tone-deaf, even provocative”.
FADING STARS Meghan Markle & Harry’s ‘star power wasn’t as successful as they hoped’, says pro amid claims they lead separate lives
The Sun
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry seem to be focusing on solo work projects and increasing living separate lives, according to royal experts.
And a PR expert has claimed that the reason for the Sussexes focusing on individual projects is that their “star power wasn’t as successful as they hoped.”
PR guru Mark Borkowski told Best magazine: “There has been a separation [of their work] for a while.
“Harry is ‘going back to basics’ with a formula that worked well for him as a Royal Family member, but there’s also the realisation that the couple’s ‘star power’ wasn’t as successful as they hoped.
“They had to change the narrative.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/royals/31087601/meghan-markle-prince-harry-separate-lives-star-power/
Kanye West is trying to uncancel himself
The Observer
Talking to Vanity Fair in February, Censori, 31, said she didn’t marry him for a platform: “I married him because I love him.” Censori is famed for wearing highly exposing outfits, which – with her perma-frozen countenance – reads as submissive and sex-doll-like.
At the 2025 Grammy awards, while West was fully dressed, she wore a skimpy transparent dress with no underwear. “He was covered head to toe in black and there was this woman virtually not wearing a fig leaf,” says Mark Borkowski, whose PR agency specialises in crisis communications and reputation management. “I thought it was incredibly exploitative.”
https://observer.co.uk/news/profile/article/profile-kanye-west-outspoken-rapper
What happened to Prince Harry’s American dream? He’s living ‘his version’ of it but ‘fighting irrelevance’
Hello Mag
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess inked deals with Netflix and Spotify, though they parted ways with the latter in 2023. Despite what the Sussexes have produced in the years since and what they have in the pipeline, crisis and reputation consultant Mark Borkowski believes Harry’s “legacy is largely already secured”.
“Invictus is the substance. Everything else – Hollywood deals, media ventures, streaming content – all a sideshow,” Mark tells HELLO!. “Well-paid, occasionally compelling, but ultimately secondary. The risk isn’t collapse. It’s dilution.”
Is Prince Harry’s American dream over? He’s ‘fighting irrelevance’, says crisis expert | HELLO!
Prince Harry warned over huge ‘risk’ as life in the US in doubt
Express
Now, a PR expert has claimed Harry’s “legacy is largely already secured” but warned him about one “risk” he needs to be cautious about.
Crisis and reputation consultant Mark Borkowski told Hello! magazine: “Invictus is the substance. Everything else – Hollywood deals, media ventures, streaming content – all a sideshow.
“Well-paid, occasionally compelling, but ultimately secondary. The risk isn’t collapse. It’s dilution.”
Mr Borkowski added that the Duke is now navigating a “post-hype phase” following the release of his memoir, Spare, in 2023.
He explained: “Sentiment has faded and everyone still judges. [Harry is] no longer the Spare phenomenon. He has lost purpose.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/2190346/prince-harry-risk-warning/amp
What happened to Prince Harry’s American dream? He’s living ‘his version’ of it but ‘fighting irrelevance’
Hello
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess inked deals with Netflix and Spotify, though they parted ways with the latter in 2023. Despite what the Sussexes have produced in the years since and what they have in the pipeline, crisis and reputation consultant Mark Borkowski believes Harry’s “legacy is largely already secured”.
“Invictus is the substance. Everything else – Hollywood deals, media ventures, streaming content – all a sideshow,” Mark tells HELLO!. “Well-paid, occasionally compelling, but ultimately secondary. The risk isn’t collapse. It’s dilution.”
Under their deal with Netflix, Harry has executive-produced multiple projects, including the documentary series Heart of Invictus and POLO. He will once again be revisiting the world of polo, along with Meghan, in another series, a polo-themed drama, first reported by Deadline in March.
Stripping away the “gloss” of Montecito, Mark suggests that what remains of Harry is a figure navigating a “post-hype phase” following the release of Spare, his 2023 memoir.
“Sentiment has faded and everyone still judges,” Mark says. “[Harry is] no longer the Spare phenomenon. He has lost purpose. After the cool appraisal from Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, the Sussex story has shifted from myth to metrics. Not ‘Who are they?’ but ‘What do they actually deliver?'”
The Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, which featured the Duke and Duchess, debuted in December of 2022 with a total of 23.4 million views and reached the English Top 10 TV list in 85 countries. Meanwhile, the Duchess’ lifestyle series With Love, Meghan debuted in the Global Top 10 TV list and reached the Top 10 in 24 countries, drawing 5.3 million views in the first half of 2025, per the streamer.
Outside of Harry’s Hollywood ventures, what the royal still has “in the mix is hopeful,” according to Mark. “The Invictus Games Foundation carries real, unshakeable authenticity – earned, not engineered,” he says.
BBC sacked Scott Mills when ‘compelling new information’ emerged from underage accuser a decade after police investigation
Daily Mail
Media expert and crisis consultant Mark Borkowski told the Daily Mail: ‘The BBC need to come clean about what exactly they know about the alleged investigation into Mills, otherwise there will be backlash from listeners who are confused why he has been sacked for something that happened 10 years ago.’
The Daily Mail revealed this week how the complaint sparking Mills’ axeing was thought to have come from someone inspired to speak out again this year following the recent Channel 5 docudrama about disgraced ex-BBC newsreader Huw Edwards.
Scott Mills’ podcast with Rylan Clark ‘is axed just weeks before its release’ after he was sacked by the BBC – as he breaks his silence in wake of sex offence allegations
Daily Mail
Media expert and crisis consultant Mark Borkowski told the Daily Mail: ‘The BBC need to come clean about what exactly they know about the alleged investigation into Mills, otherwise there will be backlash from listeners who are confused why he has been sacked for something that happened 10 years ago.’
The Wedding That Wasn’t: Is Zendaya’s Team Testing Fan Loyalty With a ‘Fake’ Marriage
International Business Times
The most pointed gesture came at the Los Angeles premiere of The Drama on Tuesday, when Zendaya arrived in a Vivienne Westwood gown she had first worn to the 2015 Oscars, the same night that red-carpet presenter Giuliana Rancic sparked a furious backlash by suggesting Zendaya’s dreadlocks made her look like she ‘smells like patchouli oil and weed,’ a comment the actress later described as ‘ignorant.’
Revisiting that dress on her own terms was deliberate. ‘Technically, it was a wedding gown,’ Roach said. ‘I had that dress in my archive.’
She wore her engagement ring and what appeared unmistakably to be a wedding band. Celebrity branding expert Mark Borkowski, observing from the sidelines, was blunt about the impression. ‘What she’s done recently is found a way of turning a narrative into cultural gossip without ever making it look like marketing or a hard sell,’ he told Page Six.
‘She’s got this new product and she leans into the rumours around Tom Holland, but never declares it.’ Borkowski compared the strategy to old Hollywood studio-era tactics, calling it ‘bewitch the algorithm’ in modern packaging.
‘When you leave everyone speculating it creates noise and heat for a new project. It’s not an accident, it’s clever choreography.’
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/zendaya-secret-marriage-speculation-hollywood-buzz-1787270