What’s next for Harry, Meghan after bombshell book further isolates them from royals
Page Six
“I suspect the ‘bunker mentality’ has left them threadbare on future messaging,” Borkowski said. “As each interview landed, Harry exposed a deep well of emotional unresolved pain. He should spend time and effort on dealing with the pain instead of turning it into a three-ring Barnum and Bailey circus act.”
Megxit’s the new Brexit: a vitriolic battleground that pits generations against each other
The Times
“Meghan and Harry encapsulate what a youth audience, a millennial audience, wants to talk about,” says Mark Borkowski, a PR expert. “Black Lives Matter, ecology, the state of the planet, trans rights; plus she’s a Hollywood princess, which captures the imagination. The boomers are fixed against it. They don’t understand it and think it’s irresponsible. The rest is box office.”
What will Harry do next? PR experts on the prince’s next steps
The Guardian
Royal interviews have a long pedigree, but not necessarily a good one. “When you look at history, any time that a senior royal has sat down for an interview, ultimately it has always backfired,” said Katie Nicholl, author of The New Royals, and Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent, who has been writing about the Windsors for nearly two decades.
ITV will expect huge ratings for its interview with the Duke of Sussex on Sunday night, but Harry may pay the price in the long run.
Prince Andrew’s “car-crash” Panorama interview with Emily Maitlis fuelled a lawsuit that led to a £12m out of court settlement last year, but before that were Harry’s parents: the then Prince of Wales admitted his infidelity in an interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, and Diana, Princess of Wales, cemented their divorce by detailing her unhappiness and Charles’s relationship with Camilla in a controversial interview with the BBC’s Martin Bashir.
Then there is his great-uncle, Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, who also married an American, also wrote a memoir (in 1951) then picked over his abdication and dispute with his family with the BBC’s Kenneth Harris in 1970, shortly before his death in 1972. As with all his predecessors, the question facing Harry is “what happens afterwards?”
Nicholas Owen, who was ITN’s royal correspondent from 1994 to 2000, and covered the fallout from the Charles and Diana interviews, said: “The parallels with the Duke of Windsor are amazing. But at least they conducted the rest of their lives more or less in obscurity.
“Harry and Meghan live close to Hollywood now – the thing about film stars is they constantly renew themselves by appearing in more films. After they’ve finished getting angry with the royal family, what else do they have to say?”
The six-hour Netflix documentary and 400-page memoir may be the peak, Nicholl said, adding: “The irony in all of this is that when Harry and Meghan left Britain, it was about starting a new chapter, launching themselves as global philanthropists. Yet they seem intent on dwelling on the past.”
Anyone hoping for a swift response from the royal family is likely to be disappointed: the King and the Prince of Wales have no engagements listed in the royal diary, eliminating any opportunity for a TV reporter to yell across the barricades if they knew that when he attended William’s wedding, Harry had a frostbitten penis.
The reaction in the US may be crucial – the Sussexes are more popular among young Americans. Dr Patrick Wanis, a Los Angeles-based behaviour expert, said the couple should wait to see how the American public responded. “America is a very forgiving place,” he said. “Americans go one of two ways – side with the hero or the victim. If they see them as victims, and people treated badly, then maybe they can flip the coin. But they have to let it sit.”
Part of the prince’s problem with being “the spare” was that he didn’t feel seen, Nicholl said. “He’s been very keen to find his voice and use it, and set the record straight. But I also think settling scores is a major part of it, and it also ultimately comes down to the big bucks.”
The Sussexes’ media excursions will certainly help bankroll their Archewell Foundation, which aims to “unleash the power of compassion to drive systemic cultural change”. That requires a podcast production arm, with a reported $30m (£25m) deal with Spotify, a TV production house with a reported $100m Netflix tie-up, and an advance from Penguin Random House for at least two books estimated at $20m. The couple have hired an executive from Universal’s film division to run their PR and another from Sony Pictures to head their marketing division.
“It’s expensive being Harry and Meghan,” said Mark Borkowski, a public relations consultant and author. “They’re not going to live in a two-up, two-down in Hatfield, and they need some money to fuel the amount of good work they want to do.”
Harry’s tell-all truth bomb could really backfire for Meghan’s political hopes
The Daily Mail
PR guru Mark Borkowski warned that Prince Harry will regret ‘weaponising’ his past in his ‘dirty laundry’ book – and so will his wife – because it leaves them with little left to sell.
Adding that the couple had been poorly advised, the brand expert said their ‘desperation’ to make headlines has echoes of Edward VIII, who ‘became a sad irrelevance’ after selling his story in full after abdicating.
He continued: ‘The content of the book is very damaging for their ambitions. Post the chaos of the coming TV interviews how much more can he reveal. He is playing his last shot.
‘The Royal Family’s silence makes it more difficult for Harry to continue to generate future headlines. He will hate being ignored and underlines his powerlessness.
‘He is drifting toward irrelevance. This need to tell his story echoes Harry’s great-grand uncle, the Duke of Windsor.
‘He became a sad irrelevance after he, penned his version of the events that led him to abdicate the throne to marry American divorcée, Wallis Simpson.
‘The key concern for me the outing of his service kills. He has placed himself and his family in grave danger to create a sensational publicity hook.
‘Has he forgotten the recent attack on Rushdie in Boston? These jihadis play a long game. Again this smells of desperation and poor guidance.’
He added: ‘Harry and Meghan got through the documentary with a bit of dignity intact but the book is just a bit crass and petty –dirty laundry stuff.
‘So the Royals just have to keep quiet and they’ll look dignified and like they’re taking the moral high ground’.
Hamza Yassin: Strictly winner being touted as next David Attenborough
The Guardian
He may have come from relative obscurity but 2023 is predicted to be a big year for the Strictly Come Dancing champion Hamza Yassin, who lifted the glitterball trophy with his dance partner Jowita Przystał on Saturday night.
He pipped fellow finalists Helen Skelton, Fleur East and Molly Rainford to the title in a tense final and insiders are now predicting big things for the wildlife expert, who said he was “over the moon” to win.
“I can’t put into words what this means to us and I’m so thankful for everyone who has voted. It’s made the long hours of training and hard work worthwhile,” Yassin said on Sunday, the morning after taking the prize.
Przystał, who won in her first year as a professional on the show, described the 12-week series as “an amazing journey”. During the last show, all couples had to perform a routine chosen by the judges, their own favourite dance and a show dance.
East and Vito Coppola were top of the leaderboard with 119 points. Yassin and Przystał were bottom on 113 points, but they won the public’s heart and secured the necessary votes to win.
After the final, viewers praised Yassin on social media, calling him “the most natural successor” to Sir David Attenborough.
The Celebrity PR Mark Borkowski said he could be the right person to step into the shoes of the legendary wildlife presenter, who is 96 years old.
“Through the whole thing, there’s something about his humility, and his humbleness and where he’s come from,” Borkowski said. “He’s an incredible example of someone just getting on with it and achieving so much. I think the BBC will have to find some sort of replacement for Attenborough and I think the greatest achievement for [Yassin] would be seeing if he can fulfil some of that.
“He is one of the rare winners of a reality show that seems to be more than an entertainment celebrity. He’s got something deeper which can be exploited within television, within social media and beyond that.”
Yassin, known as Ranger Hamza on CBeebies, was born in Sudan and moved to the UK at the age of eight, not knowing any English. He went to prep school in Scotland and then the independent Wellingborough school in Northamptonshire, where he was diagnosed as dyslexic.
He studied zoology with conservation at Bangor University and did a master’s in biological photography and imaging at the University of Nottingham, before dropping out and moving to the Highlands of Scotland at the age of 21 to follow his dream of becoming a wildlife photographer.
He has since become a regular face on CBeebies, Countryfile and Animal Park, a series looking behind the scenes at Longleat Safari Park. In 2020 he made a one-off documentary on Channel 4 about his life and the wildlife living on the Ardnamurchan peninsula called Scotland: My Life in the Wild.
Last year, he also presented the Channel 4 show Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness, where he took celebrities Martin Clunes, Sayeeda Warsi, Ben Miller and the Rev Richard Coles to see wildlife in locations around Scotland.
Craig Bennett, the chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts, said he was delighted Yassin had won. “Hamza has definitely brought something fresh and new to the genre of wildlife broadcasting, and I hope we will see more of him on our TV screens after this win,” he said.
Yassin has a break from the dancefloor for a few weeks before rehearsals begin for the Strictly Live Tour, in which he and Przystał will be the headline act performing their best dances from the series, including their couple’s choice dance, an Afrobeats-inspired dance.
Dance schools and studios across the UK saw an increase in the takeup of Afrobeats dance classes after Yassin and Przystał performed the number, which reduced judge Motsi Mabuse to tears.
One London dance school, Danceworks, had numbers more than quadruple for its Afrobeats class following the win, while dance teachers reported significantly more inquiries for African dance styles over the last month.
“It’s quite surprising how much of an impact that dance has made,” said Cherise Collings, a manager at Danceworks. “It goes to show how much difference it makes when people see it on TV.”
The Guardian: Hamza Yassin: Strictly winner being touted as next David Attenborough
The dual life of Dua Lipa: Singer’s success as podcaster and publisher
The Times
Most pop stars relax the morning after a sell-out gig. Dua Lipa, however, is not like most pop stars.
Instead, she busily plots the next steps in other parts of her burgeoning career — chairing editorial conferences for her nascent newsletter or interviewing another luminary for her podcast.
Her newsletter, Service95, launched in February and has already acquired thousands of subscribers. Far from running an amateurish blog, Lipa, 27, whose hits include One Kiss and Levitating, has poured resources into the venture.
She employs about ten people, including Funmi Fetto, who is a contributing editor at British Vogue and the Observer magazine’s beauty director, as editorial director.
“She runs a Service95 meeting every week, wherever she is in the world,” said a source. “These aren’t short meetings either, they last a long time.” Journalists who have written for the newsletter speak highly of the “above market rates” that the newsletter pays for their work, up to $1 (about 82p) per word.
Lipa is the latest celebrity to attempt to carve out a niche as a lifestyle guru, following the lead of the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, who has become almost as well known for Goop, her wellness and lifestyle brand, as for her acting.
Lipa’s decision to name her brand Service95 is perhaps easier to understand than Goop or Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh. “I was born in ’95, and I have always seen myself as someone who is of service to my fans and followers,” she said. Lipa promises writing on “fashion, beauty, arts, politics, global issues and tons more from incredibly talented writers”.
What marks Lipa out is the fact that, unlike her celebrity peers, her newsletter is not full of fluff. Each issue, which is sent to subscribers every Thursday, opens with words from Lipa, be it on the women’s protests in Iran, misogyny in the music industry or sex. Often it comes with a list attached: for example, her skincare tips and the best places to eat in Rio de Janeiro.
Readers are then offered thousands of words from leading journalists such as the award-winning author Oliver Bullough on kleptocracy or the Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi on feminism.
“I think it is incredibly impressive because she could be spending her time in Mykonos and not engaging with any of this at all,” said Bullough, who was asked to write about how the West allowed Russian oligarchs to launder their billions shortly after the Ukraine war started. Much of the commissioning is done by people such as Fetto, but Lipa is said to “decide on everything”.
The seeds for Lipa’s journalism were sown when she was a child, as she would “obsessively make lists” of things she enjoyed, from restaurants and art galleries to books and films. Lipa says she has “been my friends’ and family’s go-to for recommendations” ever since.
After the coronavirus lockdowns grounded the tour for her second album, Lipa decided to turn her lists into an enterprise to try and “find order in the chaos”.
Her podcast also began in February. In Dua Lipa: At Your Service the singer interviews fellow A-listers in her own way. Guests have included the film director Greta Gerwig reflecting on how failure can help a career, Monica Lewinsky meditating on feminism and Sir Mo Farah talking about how he lived for decades with the secret of being trafficked to the UK from Djibouti.
Lipa does her own research before her interviews and has done podcasts on how to roast a perfect chicken (the key is to put a lemon inside and keep the skin of the onions on). She has also led a guided yoga session.
The second series of 12 episodes finished this month, giving Lipa the opportunity to finish her third album. The podcast is also professionally slick and is produced by Dino Sofos, the brains behind the BBC’s Newscast and Americast podcasts who launched his own company, Persephonica, this year. His other show is The News Agents, the new venture by BBC alumni Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall.
Lipa was born in London in 1995 after her parents, Anesa and Dukagjin, fled Kosovo during the Balkan wars. When she was 11 the family moved back to Kosovo but she insisted on returning to London four years later to take GCSEs and try to forge a music career. She attended Parliament Hill School in north London and took Saturday classes at the esteemed Sylvia Young Theatre School, which has produced graduates such as the actress Keeley Hawes and the late singer Amy Winehouse.
“She was always driven and had a phenomenal work ethic. She would not sit back and wait for things,” Young, 83, said. “We knew she was very intelligent and would be successful in anything she did.”
Some eyebrows were raised when it was announced that Lipa was going to give a speech at October’s Booker prize ceremony, when the Queen presented the award to Shehan Karunatilaka for his book The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The singer had read all six shortlisted novels and opened up about how immersing herself in books affected her.
“Sometimes, just to survive, I need to adopt a tough exterior,” she told the audience at the Roundhouse in north London. “And at these times, it is books that soften me.” One of Lipa’s next stops is the Hay Festival, the literary jamboree in the Welsh borders in May.
Lipa’s idea to branch out appears to have been a savvy move. “Nowadays it is not enough to just do music,” said Mark Borkowski, the veteran PR man whose clients include Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.
“It’s arduous work to stay at the top. It also allows her to be less reliant on doing endless interviews. This content defines her authenticity. She is a very clever woman.”
The Times: The dual life of Dua Lipa: Singer’s success as podcaster and publisher
Harry and Meghan invited to Charles’s coronation, report suggests
The Guardian
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will have a place at the king’s coronation should they wish to attend, despite the continued fallout from their Netflix documentary, it has been reported.
Harry and Meghan will be invited to Charles’s ceremony on 6 May, with all family members expected to feature on a guest list still to be drawn up, according to a report.
A source told The Daily Telegraph: “All members of the family will be welcome.” The Sussexes are understood to have not yet received an invitation.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment, but a source said of the king: “He loves both his sons.”
Both Buckingham and Kensington Palace have remained silent over a number of allegations made in the six-part docuseries, including Harry’s claim that he was left terrified after the Prince of Wales screamed and shouted at him during the Sandringham summit in January 2020.
Harry also alleged that Kensington Palace “lied to protect my brother” when it issued a statement denying a story William had bullied him out of the royal family.
The king is said to be hurt by Harry and Meghan’s criticism of the family, but has not given up hope of reconciliation and does not want to strip the pair of their titles, the Daily Express has reported.
Charles and Camilla will be crowned at a ceremony in Westminster Abbey that the palace promises will be “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry”, but also “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”.
The day of the coronation is also the fourth birthday of Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie, posing questions over whether they would be able to attend.
The public relations and crisis consultant Mark Borkowski said the Sussexes were fighting a “visceral emotional war” with the royal family, but that the only winners would be Netflix.
He said the content of the documentary was aimed at a US rather than a UK audience.
“This is not messaging for the UK, they’ve clearly given that up, this is purely messaging for America who do understand that lifestyle,” he said.
In the lead-up to the second batch of episodes, it was revealed that the first instalment of Harry & Meghan recorded 81.55m viewing hours around the world after its debut – a Netflix record.
The Guardian: Harry and Meghan invited to Charles’s coronation, report suggests
In a divided nation, England’s footballers offer blueprint for politicians to follow
The Guardian
As England’s footballers shuffled sleeplessly away from their training base at Al-Wakrah on Sunday, the team’s youngest player was asked whether he had a message for supporters. “Stick with us,” said Jude Bellingham. The 19-year-old’s tone was confident, defiant, even optimistic. And it reflected a wider message from the camp: that when it comes to England’s World Cup postmortem there is no need for a scalpel.
The players want Gareth Southgate to stay as manager. Judging by the relative lack of bile and calls for blood that followed England’s 2-1 defeat against France, the majority of the public do too. There was also little anger directed towards the captain, Harry Kane, even though his second penalty had more chance of finding orbit around Doha than the back of the net.
Meanwhile a peak audience of 23 million on ITV saw the World Cup quarter-final on Saturday night, proving once again that England football unites the nation like little else.
Yes, England ultimately fell short again. But, even so, there was a quiet sense in Doha that Southgate’s young and diverse team, like England’s women at the European Championship in the summer and Team GB’s Olympics stars in Tokyo last year, have still shown the nation’s better side. And, perhaps, a blueprint for its politicians to absorb.
That was a message reinforced by Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at Skema business school in Lille, who said Southgate’s leadership had instilled traits such as collective identity, accountability and competence that are not always common in public life.
“This squad is diverse, cosmopolitan and with a sense of collective identity,” he said. “But they not only illustrate who we are as a country – they also provide a template for who we should be.”
Admittedly that is not especially hard given Britain continues to lurch from crisis to crisis and culture war to culture war. However Chadwick sees reasons for potential optimism.
“In this really fractious and dysfunctional post-Brexit incarnation of Britain, Southgate and his team are providing some pointers for how the country can be in the future, if we stick together,” he said. “And I think that’s the crucial part. It is up to society to replicate the England men and women’s teams’ community and collectivism.”
Of course that collectivism was not necessarily reflected by all supporters after their World Cup quarter-final defeat. Some took issue with Southgate’s tactics, including the slow rigidity of his team’s buildup. Others questioned why he did not bring on Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford earlier, when the game still teetered on a precipice. These are not unfair charges. But they are not entirely balanced, either.
A fair ledger would also note that England pushed France back in the second half – and largely stopped the striker Kylian Mbappé whose extraordinary pace and trickery make him football’s ultimate cheat code.
Despite it all they are still trending in the right direction. The caveat, of course, is that while the talent and spirit are there the men’s team are yet to break their 56-year itch for a major trophy.
Southgate will spend the days and possibly weeks ahead wondering whether to stay on for Euro 2024. And while some fans are demanding a proven winner, such as the German Thomas Tuchel or the Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, Southgate retains the backing of his players. As the midfielder Declan Rice put it: “He’s been brilliant for us. There’s a lot of criticism that’s not deserved. He’s taken us so, so far.”
The message was echoed by Mark Bullingham, the Football Association’s chief executive, who said he was “incredibly proud of Gareth, the players, the coaches and the support team and appreciate all the hard work they put in”.
There was also strong support from within the squad for Harry Kane, who admitted on Sunday that he was still “absolutely gutted” with his penalty miss with just over five minutes remaining. “There’s no hiding from it, it hurts and it’ll take some time to get over it but that’s part of sport,” he said.
Notably, on social media at least, there was none of the outpouring of bile that greeted three black players, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, after they failed to score from the spot in the shootout defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
The PR guru Mark Borkowski, who has worked with Michael Jackson and Led Zeppelin, among others, and helps celebrities deal with social media abuse, said that Kane would still need to be supported.
“He is going to need some help,” he said. “He is a pro, but the burden of that missed penalty is going to be intense. My advice would be to return to the bosom of his family, shut off social media and take himself into a bunker.
“It’s about giving himself some time and space. After that he should keep focus on doing what he is brilliant at. And when he does eventually speak to the media, I would show some vulnerability because people will understand.”
England’s fans too deserve credit given there was not a single arrest in Doha. It was a far cry from the last time the national team played in an away tournament, at the 2019 Nations League in Portugal, where thousands caused general mayhem. The 2024 European Championship in Germany may see a return to hooliganism’s dark ages. But, on the pitch at least, England can still stare brightly ahead.
The Guardian – In a divided nation, England’s footballers offer blueprint for politicians to follow
Harry and Meghan are telling their story — again. But what comes next?
CBC News
In the trailer that was dropped strategically the other day to drum up interest in the new Netflix docuseries on Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, she posed the question: “Doesn’t it make more sense to hear our story from us?”
And in the first three episodes of the series that started streaming early Thursday, Harry was bolstering that same view, saying at one point that the couple, who stepped back from official royal duties in 2020, have “never been allowed to tell our story.”
However, half-way through the series — the final three episodes drop next Thursday — there is a sense that this telling of their story is in many ways an effort to continue to shape a well-trodden ground of grievance against the Royal Family and raise repeated concerns about issues such as racism and media intrusion into their lives.
“If there hadn’t been the Oprah Winfrey interview, this might have been seen as a more groundbreaking documentary,” Carolyn Harris, a Toronto-based royal author and historian, said in an interview.
But there was that Oprah interview a year and a half ago, which among many other revelations included Meghan’s declaration that an unnamed senior member of the Royal Family had worries about the colour of the skin of their first child before he was born.
While viewers do get a more intimate portrait of their courtship, no similar bombshells landed in the first three episodes (nor was there any expansion on that specific statement to Oprah).
“I just think it’s more of the same. I mean, this time it’s delivered in quite a sort of feature-like way. There’s no balances at all. It’s very glossy. It’s very gutteral,” British PR expert Mark Borkowski said in an interview.
[full article]
CBC News; Harry and Meghan are telling their story — again. But what comes next?
‘Racist’ comments made by Prince William’s godmother are ‘disaster for him and Kate’ as they land in US
The Daily Mail
‘Racist’ comments made by Prince William‘s godmother are a ‘disaster’ for him and Kate as they head to the US today for their first trip in eight years, PR experts said today.
The Prince of Wales today backed Lady Susan Hussey’s decision to step down from the royal household after she allegedly refused to believe a black domestic abuse campaigner was British and asked her: ‘What part of Africa are you from?’
Publicist Mark Borkowski said the comments, which were made at a reception organised by Queen Consort Camilla, would serve as ‘ammunition’ for Meghan and Harry – who today released a polished trailer for the Invictus Games on the same day William and Kate began their US visit.
Mr Borkowski told MailOnline: ‘This is a PR disaster for the Royal Family and it is going to cause huge problems, especially at the start of William and Kate’s US trip which will be dominated by a new racism row. They are flying into a perfect storm.
‘It is also ammunition for Meghan and Harry who can now tell Americans they have been proved right and say: ‘Look we told you so’ when they are on their own PR blitz with their Netflix show out next week and their Invictus promotions.
‘This scandal is the first real big test and crisis of Charles’ reign. He must be ruthless in throwing this old guard out of the royal household. The optics are very bad at this time when the King wants to create an image of a new, modern, Royal Family’.
[Full article]
Balenciaga Spanish brand faces fury
The Sun
PR consultant and author Mark Borkowski said the fashion industry was always trying to “push the envelope” but called the teddy campaign and “utter catastrophe.”
He said: “Time does tend to heal but Balenciaga needs to deal with this quickly.
“Nobody seems to have gone at senior level and the fact they are throwing people under a bus is extraordinary.
“The longer this goes on the more damaging it is likely to become.”
[Full article]
What next for I’m a Celeb jungle stars?
The Daily Mail
Jill Scott will make millions from her I’m a Celebrity victory with Owen Warner also likely to be the other big winner financially, PR experts told MailOnline today.
The Lioness hero, who is the first LGBT person to win the show, is expected to become mega rich from her jungle triumph because she is now loved by millions who see her as genuine, relatable and kind.
Public relations expert Gary Farrow, who famously was Sir Elton John‘s manager, predicted that she could become a David Beckham-like figure, making millions from promoting fashion and cosmetics as well as from motivational speeches and books.
Runner up Owen Warner is predicted to leave Hollyoaks to pursue a career in TV – perhaps even with Ant and Dec – with food businesses already queuing up to pay him to promote their products, shops and restaurants because he became famous for always being hungry.
Mike Tindall is also expected to enjoy increased fees on the after dinner speaking circuit. Mr Farrow pondered if he went on I’m a Celeb to lose weight as well as boost his earning power.
But with Matt Hancock insisting he is heading back to Westminster politics and his West Suffolk constituency, experts have predicted that his girlfriend Gina Coladangelo – and the couple could end up on reality shows like Gogglebox or even Strictly. But the couple have denied they are plotting anything of the sort.
Here are the biggest winners from I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2022:
Jill Scott’s life will be transformed after becoming Queen of the Jungle – and she is expected to make millions from new jobs, sponsors and business opportunities.
Jill, who runs a Manchester coffee shop with her fiancee Shelly Unitt, already has deals with Walkers crisps and Starling Bank and she and her teammates got a £55,000 bonus after their Euros win. She is also being paid £120,000 for her I’m A Celebrity appearance.
But much greater riches await Ms Scott, with businesses desperate to sign her up and the public just as desperate to see her on TV and at events.
Brand expert Mark Borkowski said that not only did she win the show, she will also be the ‘real winner’ financially because in business ‘authenticity rules’ and Jill is clearly true and real’.
Her victory proves she is liked by both men and women, and has also become a gay icon on the show.
Mr Borkowski said: ‘She arrived with so much positivity surrounding her. The win galvanises her position as the must have personality’.
Sir Elton John’s manager of many years, Gary Farrow, believes that Jill will become a huge name for years to come.
He said: ‘She is a successful footballer, has a MBE and has won over millions of people on I’m a Celeb. She can make a fortune.
‘David Beckham has promoted big businesses such as Gillette, promoted perfumes, cosmetics, clothes and cars. There is no reason why Jill couldn’t do the same’.
He added: ‘People will want to see her after dinner speeches and motivational speeches and she will also be spoilt for choice’.
Runner up: Owen Warner
Owen Warner has been described as a ‘dream’ for supermarkets and food advertisers due to his now well-known obsession with food.
The soap star, who found fame as Romeo Nightingale in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, has won over viewers and became well know for his complaints about abject hunger.
Before entering the camp he admitted the lack of food would be his biggest challenge – and so it proved.
Mark Borkowski said: ‘Owen will coin it in. For food brands he is a dream. I expect to see a lot of these businesses looking to him. The future is very bright for him’.
Broadcaster Dan Walker tweeted: ‘If @OwenWarner doesn’t get a supermarket or fast food deal out of this it’s a disgrace’.
He has a two-year deal to star in Hollyoaks but many expect he may be gone with 6 months after his jungle adventure.
Viewers think the same. One person tweeted: “Owen is 1000% gonna be the one with a segment on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway in a few months.”
Someone else wrote: “Owen will no doubt feature on Saturday Night Takeaway in some capacity.”
Other suggested that he may get TV gigs like Joel Dommett, who also enjoyed success on I’m a Celeb.
Third place: Matt Hancock
The former Health Secretary, 44, overcame the ignominy of being voted by the public to face six successive gruesome bushtucker trials to finish third on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity.. Get Me Out Of Here on Sunday night.
He outlasted the likes of Boy George and Chris Moyles before losing out to Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner and the eventual winner, former Lioness Jill Scott.
The West Suffolk MP surpassed the expectations of many by reaching the final.
His 18 days in the Australian jungle has seen him suspended from the Conservative parliamentary party and criticised by colleagues including Rishi Sunak.
Mr Hancock is said to have seen appearing on the show as an ‘amazing opportunity’ to connect with younger generations, having been snubbed from Rishi Sunak’s cabinet.
Matt Hancock’s aides have rebuffed claims that his lover Gina Coladangelo had secret discussions about getting him into showbusiness – instead insisting he will return to Westminster.
The MP has a book, Pandemic Diaries, which will officially be released on Tuesday, December 6.
Mr Borkowski said: ‘Matt has too much negativity surrounding him to plunder any meaningful career however broadcasting might offer a way out of politics. I think long term his girlfriend has more potential. There are far to many unresolved issues for Hancock to truly plunder the short term success’.
He added: ‘Will Gogglebox take on Matt and his girlfriend I see them as a double act like Neil And Christine Hamilton? If all fails Gina could be in the jungle next year or make Strictly’.
Fourth place: Mike Tindall
The former England rugby star’s motivations for being on the show remain unclear. He is said to be taking home £265,000 for his jungle stint – but is estimated to be worth £15million with his royal wife Zara.
The couple live in the grounds of Princess Anne’s country estate, gifted to her by the Queen.
Gary Farrow said: ‘He’s already rich and successful, and has a royal wife and lifestyle. He lost a lot of weight in the camp – I wonder if this is why he did it. It was a highly-paid diet for him’.
He added: ‘It might boost his rate for speeches, but I think he’ll disappear after this’.
Mike, 44, spent 17 years playing rugby before his retirement in 2014. During this time, he made 75 appearances for England, including playing in the 2003 World Cup winning team alongside Johnny Wilkinson.
Following his retirement as a player, Mike worked on the coaching staff for Gloucester, his former rugby club, where he is thought to have earnt between £100,000-£200,000 a year, according to Now to Love.
In addition to Mike’s rugby career, he and Zara each have a long list of brand ambassadorships with names such as Musto, Rolex, Land Rover, which are estimated to bring in more than £1 million a year, but many are tied to sport and horse riding.
However in recent weeks, his face has popped up somewhat unexpectedly in some television adverts – first for Domino’s Pizza and then for Amazon Prime.
In the Amazon Prime advert, the former rugby ace is mocked as it it suggested he is more recognisable for being ‘Zara Phillips’s husband’ than for his 17-year career.
Mike runs a company, Kimble Trading Ltd, which oversees various business activities – including managing his speaking appearances.
It is thought that Mike earns a six-figure salary from the company, although he came under fire during the pandemic after it was revealed it had received furlough cash.
What next for I’m a Celeb jungle stars? Jill Scott to make millions | Daily Mail Online
How did he survive? PR and TikTok votes kept Matt Hancock in I’m a Celebrity jungle
The Guardian
When Matt Hancock entered the I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! jungle, pundits predicted he would be the first to be voted out.
His decision to appear on the ITV show, despite his record during the pandemic and the fact he is a sitting MP, had provoked anger and disgust. More than 1,700 people complained to Ofcom, the broadcast regulator, and the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group issued a searing statement.
“The fact that he is trying to cash in on his terrible legacy, rather than showing some humility or seeking to reflect on the appalling consequences of his time in government, says it all about the sort of person he is,” a spokesperson said.
But despite the criticism – or perhaps because of it – the former health secretary has won the backing of an unlikely crowd, lasting more than two weeks in the jungle and surviving eight eliminations to make it to the final today.
Support from young TikTok users – boosted by a concerted effort from his PR team – appears to have been key to his on-screen success, according to public relations experts and political rivals.
Over the past few days, before the final on ITV on Sunday evening, members of Hancock’s PR team were lobbying for votes on the app – encouraging people to vote for him repeatedly and giving them step-by-step instructions.
One video, addressed to “team Matt”, said their mission was to “keep Matt in the jungle”. It added that they should “download the I’m a Celebrity… app and vote five times,” or call the voting number. “Always use all my votes to keep Matt in!” one TikTokker wrote in response. Another video was billed as a “step by step guide to keep Matt in the jungle” and showed someone scrolling through the app on their phone and voting for Hancock repeatedly.
The TikTok campaign is not a breach of the rules: ITV’s website says viewers can vote up to five times each via the app, while those voting by text or phone can vote up to 600 times from a single number before it is deemed suspicious and unfair to the other contestants.
But it is a deliberate strategy. Since 8 November, Hancock’s PR team has posted 24 videos of him on the app, all linked to his appearance in the jungle. He now has more than 77,000 followers and at least 511,800 likes across his official TikTok account, while videos of him overall have been watched 400 million times, according to TikTok’s internal data.
Aside from Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner, the equivalent stats for other stars are far poorer. Former rugby player Mike Tindall, who was voted out last night, has less than 3,500 followers, with just over 26,000 likes, while what appears to be the official account for former England footballer Jill Scott, who was tipped as the favourite to win going into the final tonight, has about 2,180 followers and less than 900 likes.
On Twitter and Instagram, the other I’m a Celebrity… contestants admittedly have a bigger presence. But it is TikTok – where videos have been promoted by the algorithm and hashtags such as #matthancockfanclub have gained traction – that has been so crucial for Hancock, said PR guru Mark Borkowski.
“I think TikTok has been quite important to him. I think [users] see him as some sort of anomaly, something that is winding up the older generation, so why don’t we just play mischief?” Borkowski said. He added: “The people instructing him back in Blighty have done a very good job with TikTok. A lot of it is instructing the audience what to do, to use the app, how to vote for Matt. And that bit has been clever.”
But software used by Borkowski’s team to track media coverage shows comments on articles and social media posts about Hancock, 44, are still largely negative. During his time as health secretary, the MP for West Suffolk oversaw the unlawful discharge of hospital patients into care homes at the height of the pandemic and broke transparency rules by failing to publish details of multibillion-pound government PPE contracts. He was subsequently forced to resign as health secretary after the Sun published footage of him kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo while social distancing rules were in place.
While Borkowksi believes that the public’s view of Hancock remains dim, he says younger fans could help him win. He does not believe it will pay off, however. “I don’t think he has a political career after it. I think he’ll be ridiculed,” Borkowksi said. “He’s like a pantomime villain. I can see him doing odd advertising campaigns.”
[Full article]
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/nov/27/matt-hancock-im-a-celebrity-tiktok-votes-jungle
Sorry everyone, but Matt Hancock is the real winner of I’m a Celebrity
The Telegraph
“What the bejesus is going on?” The words of Chris Moyles this week, upon hearing that he had been eliminated from I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! while Matt Hancock continued to rake in the public votes. Moyles looked genuinely appalled by the result. “I’m gutted,” he said, “that Matt Hancock is more popular than me.”
You could forgive the former Radio 1 DJ for his befuddlement. When the celebrities entered the jungle on November 6, Hancock’s public approval rating was somewhere on a scale between Idi Amin and James Corden. Those in favour of lockdowns hated him because of his failures during the pandemic. Those opposed to lockdowns hated him for locking down at all. Everyone hated him for flouting the Government’s own social distancing rules to have an office grope with his mistress, before he publicly dumped his wife.
Ofcom was flooded with complaints from viewers who objected to his very presence on the show. What about the deaths of care home residents on his watch as Health Secretary? What about his constituents? And yet, three weeks later, things have changed. On Question Time this week, an audience member said he would boot Hancock out of politics tomorrow, but conceded: “The thing is, the country has tried to dishonour him, to bring him down, to embarrass him – but I’ve got to give the man credit, he’s socked them in the eye.”
It doesn’t matter who is crowned King or Queen of the Jungle on Sunday night. By beginning to rehabilitate his image, Hancock can be considered I’m A Celebrity’s true winner. The question is, where does he go from here?
“His career was at a pretty low point and he didn’t have much to lose,” says Andrew Bloch, a leading PR adviser whose clients include Lord Sugar. “The adverse feeling towards him was pretty strong. But he has endeared himself to viewers and done better than I or many others were expecting him to do. I still think there is a way to go, and I don’t think it’s all going to be a bed of roses for him when he comes out. But when you’re in politics, especially for government ministers, people forget that you’re a human being. He has shown his human side.”
As expected, the public repeatedly voted for Hancock to take part in the show’s grisly Bushtucker Trials. He proved surprisingly good at these – when you’ve endured those terrible Covid press conferences, what terrors can a kangaroo penis really hold? – and never complained, unlike his more lily-livered campmates.
Sympathy for him began to swell when the show’s most forthright contestants challenged him on his handling of the pandemic, which led to viewer complaints that he was being bullied. Brits like an underdog.
In his nightly appearances on the show, Hancock has striven to come across as a good egg. Friends insist this is his real personality. “People are seeing the true Matt, rather than the man behind the podium,” one supporter says. “He is the most optimistic person I’ve ever met.” Some observers are more cynical. According to PR expert Mark Borkowski, ITV has deliberately shown Hancock in a positive light.
“ITV edited it very carefully to keep him in,” Borkowski claims. “What has cleverly been worked on is TikTok, where the younger audience were instructed what to do to keep Matt Hancock in through the free ITV app. They paid him a phenomenal amount of money to be there. The fact that everybody is talking about him is great for ITV. Having him there until the final days keeps eyeballs right to the end of the show, which keeps advertisers happy.”
[full article]
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2022/11/26/sorry-everyone-matt-hancock-real-winner-celebrity/
Mark’s words in the Daily Express – Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums
Many people think that Budweiser is to real beer as a McDonald’s burger is to a 28oz grass-fed tenderloin steak.
It therefore says a lot about the PR disaster that is the Qatar World Cup that Bud are the tournament’s biggest reputational winners so far.
Sponsorship is about awareness but it’s an expensive way for a brand to be subliminal background noise. It might sound biased coming from me, but PR – earned exposure on independent platforms – is a much more effective route into consumer consciousness.
By banning beer from stadiums so late on, Fifa and Qatar gave Budweiser global coverage beyond their wildest dreams.
So what if fewer fans sup their beer and a few wiseacres quip on social media that it is Qatar’s most positive contribution to human rights? This is a massive PR win for Bud.
The polar opposite can be said for Qatar and Fifa. The beer scandal is the tip of an iceberg that includes accusations of match fixing, Danish journalists being manhandled off air and David Beckham being held to ransom by Joe Lycett – on top of historic criticism of the regime’s human rights abuses and mediaeval attitude towards the LGBT community.
Hosting the World Cup was an enormous soft power exercise for Qatar but it’s turned into a historic PR disaster that has exposed the country’s ugly global reputation.
The same goes for Fifa. Accusations swirl over how Qatar was awarded the tournament and with each day, as the hosts grow more erratic and draconian, it becomes clearer that Fifa has no regard for the game, its fans, the law or even basic human morality.
Hollywood’s hypocritical attitude to cancelled stars
The Telegraph
Thierry Frémaux must be having sleepless nights. Woody Allen and Roman Polanski will both have films ready for next year’s Cannes Film Festival, while Maïwenn Le Besco, director of Johnny Depp’s forthcoming movie La Favorite (about Louis XV and his mistress), is often a shoo-in for a Croisette appearance. Frémaux, director of the festival, would usually book them all – so will he hold his nerve and place Cannes in the centre of the culture wars?
The list goes on. Kevin Spacey was recently found not guilty of sexual assault by a New York court, and his performance as Gore Vidal, the last movie he made before allegations were made against him, is sitting on the shelf at Netflix. If he is found not guilty of five further charges in London next year – and he has denied them all – might that film appear? Could even James Franco, who settled a sexual-misconduct lawsuit for $2.2 million (£2 million) last year, and Armie Hammer, whose ex-girlfriends accused him of rape and cannibalistic fantasies but who faced no charges after a police investigation, find their way back to the screen?
The issue of whether to – and how to – rehabilitate cancelled stars is still Hollywood’s hottest potato. “I’ll avoid this one on anything except ‘deep background’,” one senior producer said over the phone. Hollywood is about both relationships and money, she went on to explain – but money usually comes first. “Short of an actual felony conviction, the question is, ‘Will they sell tickets?’”
PR veteran Mark Borkowski agrees that the bottom line eventually talks. “If there’s jail time or outspoken victims, it will be very hard. R Kelly and [Harvey] Weinstein aren’t coming back. [Yet] Depp and Allen haven’t been found guilty of, or sentenced for, anything. Social media is torn over Depp, especially TikTok, but 18 to 30-year-olds aren’t the Depp or Allen audience. I suspect older audiences will give them a chance – if the work’s good.”
[full article]
Hollywood’s hypocritical attitude to cancelled stars (telegraph.co.uk)
Matt Hancock joins I’m A Celebrity 2022 – Mark’s comments, DailyMail
DailyMail
Friends of Matt Hancock’s estranged wife Martha today revealed their shock at his decision to star on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – a move that got him kicked out of the parliamentary Tory party.
The former Health Secretary, who quit after breaking his own lockdown rules by having an affair with long-time aide Gina Coladangelo, will become the 12th celebrity heading to the Australian jungle.
One friend of Martha’s was searing in their condemnation of the father of three today, branding him a ‘total halfwit who’s making some unwise career moves’.
Meanwhile, one former minister predicted Mr Hancock would be selected for a bushtucker trial ‘every day’. Referring to the notorious challenge for contestants to eat kangaroo testicles, the Tory told MailOnline: ‘I have sympathy for the poor kangaroo.’
The politician added: ‘Is Matt Hancock technically a celebrity? I think he’s probably in a slightly lower league than Mike Tindall. If he’s eliminated in the first round he’ll be appalled. He’s going to be the hate figure, every single day he will be doing a challenge.’
The news drew a rapid rebuke from Number 10, with Rishi Sunak’s spokesman saying the Prime Minister believes MPs should be ‘working hard for their constituents’ at a ‘challenging time for the country’. Mr Sunak is ‘unlikely’ to watch Mr Hancock in action, the spokesman added.
Chief Whip Simon Hart announced he had removed the whip from Mr Hancock – the same fate that befell fellow Tory MP Nadine Dorries when she went on the ITV show in 2012. ‘Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect,’ he said.
PR expert Mark Borkowski estimated Mr Hancock could have been paid a £350,000 appearance fee. He told MailOnline: ‘They paid Noel Edmonds £500,000 and that was a top booking – either Hancock is desperate for the visibility or the money… if it’s the money I’d expect £350,000 – he should be very careful what he wishes for.’
[full article]
Matt Hancock joins I’m A Celebrity 2022 line up | Daily Mail OnlineExperts warn the Sussexes risk becoming ‘boring’
DailyMail
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at risk of losing out on more lucrative media deals by being seen as ‘boring’, a public relations expert said today – as he warned the success of Harry’s controversial memoir would be crucial to their financial future.
The Duke of Sussex‘s autobiography, which has the pointed title Spare, was unveiled yesterday. He was reportedly paid a £18.4million advance for the book as part of a three-title deal worth £36.8m.
The book will be published on January 10, just weeks after Harry and Meghan’s equally controversial Netflix documentary – believed to be part of a £100m deal – is due to be aired.
Together with a £100m deal with Spotify, which includes Meghan’s Archetypes podcast, the agreements provide the couple with significant financial firepower.
But this could be at risk in the future if the public begins to tire of their regular pronouncements, according to PR and marketing expert Mark Borkowski.
‘The most important thing in the modern world is that they generate column inches and eyeballs – everything will come down to the success of the book and the deals with Netflix and Spotify,’ he told MailOnline.
‘If they do well then they could still be attractive to media outlets looking for subscribers. Given they’re no longer connected to the Royal Family with the exposure that brings they need to create their own energy. The danger is they become boring.’
Mr Borkowski said the couple’s expensive lifestyle – which revolves around their £11million Montecito mansion – could see them partner with a Silicon Valley tech firm such as Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta.
The firm’s share price recently plummeted amid concerns Mr Zuckerberg’s multi-billion dollar investment in the idea of the ‘metaverse’ – a series of virtual worlds where users can engage with each other in virtual reality – would fail to pay off.
‘There’s a bit of a downturn in tech at the moment but I’d expect that as the dust settles we could see them sign another deal in that industry,’ Mr Borkowski said.
‘Meta are facing huge problems so who better to generate a conversation around their idea of the metaverse than Harry and Meghan? They could be promoting it or creating their own virtual world themselves.’
King Charles replaces Prince Harry as Captain General of the Royal Marines | Daily Mail Online
Royals will be ‘very concerned’ as Harry’s ‘sensational’ memoir Spare is revealed
DailyMail
The Royal Family will be ‘very concerned’ after it emerged Prince Harry’s controversial memoir will be called Spare, an expert said today – as the publisher promised ‘raw, unflinching honesty’ in the book which will be released on January 10.
The eye-catching title is a nod to Harry’s nickname as a ‘spare’ prince – in contrast to his brother William, the heir to the throne. The Spanish language version is even more pointed, having been given the subtitle En La Sombra, or ‘in the shadow’.
Harry was reportedly paid a $20million (£18.4million) advance for the book as part of a three-title deal worth £36.8m. Today, publisher Penguin Random House said the duke had donated $1.5million (£1.3million) to children’s charity Sentebale and £300,000 to WellChild, a charity for disabled children for which he serves as patron.
Spare’s title page shows Harry staring sternly at the camera in a brown T-shirt and a black string necklace. An unabridged audiobook will be read by the prince himself.
The 416-page autobiography – which some retailers have cut to half-price for pre-order copies – was expected to hit bookshelves this autumn but there has been speculation that the date was pushed back as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen, and, it is rumoured, to make changes to the publication and remove potentially damaging material.
However, it appears the tone of the book has darkened since it was first announced in July last year. While the memoir was then-described as an ‘inspiring, courageous, and uplifting human story’, today’s promotion calls it a ‘personal journey from trauma to healing’.
Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams suggested the Royal Family would be ‘very concerned’ by how the book was being promoted.
‘It is a sensational title and implies that the writer was not valued or certainly that he did not feel at the centre of events,’ he told MailOnline. ‘When the blurb speaks of ”raw, unflinching honesty” the Palace will be very concerned, especially since these are the early months of King Charles’s reign.
‘There will undoubtedly be interviews, serialisation and endless speculation about this memoir, which in my view should have waited many years. Even Edward VIII, by then the Duke of Windsor, waited until 1951 before A King’s Story was published. The consequences of this will be far-reaching and may be highly destructive.’
The Royal Family has not been given a chance to see the manuscript before publication, so will be unable to respond to any of its claims through their lawyers.
The publication date was announced in a press release today, which referred to Harry as a ‘husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate and environmentalist’ who ‘resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs’.
‘Spare takes readers immediately back to one of the most searing images of the Twentieth Century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow — and horror,’ the release said.
‘As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is his story at last. With its raw, unflinching honesty, Spare is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.’
The memoir, which is available to pre-order, will cost £28 hardcover, £13.99 as an eBook, £20 as an audio download and £25 as a CD. It will be available in English in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Canada, while the book will also be published in 15 additional languages, including Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. Representatives for the King and Kensington Palace have declined to comment.
Spare will be released two days after the three-year anniversary of Harry and Meghan’s official exit from the Royal Family.
Harry’s relatives could be faced with damaging newspaper headlines if the prince chooses to delve into the most controversial elements of royal life from the past decades.
He could reveal which member of the monarchy he claims made a racist comment about the potential skin colour of his then unborn son Archie, or shine a light on his strained relationship with his father and troubled times with his brother William, the Prince of Wales.
Random House CEO Markus Dohle said today: ‘We are honoured to be publishing Prince Harry’s candid and emotionally powerful story for readers everywhere.
‘He shares a remarkably moving personal journey from trauma to healing, one that speaks to the power of love and will inspire and encourage millions of people around the world.’
The description appears to be more negative than Harry’s description of the book in July last year. Then, he said: ‘I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become.
‘I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story – the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned – I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think.’
Today, Mark Borkowski, an author and publicity expert, said there was plenty of time to significantly edit the book between the Queen’s death in early September and the January 10 publication date.
‘An advance is paid on a certain premise – the publishers would have seen the manuscript and got excited by it,’ he told MailOnline.
‘So there’s always going to be a battle over the content. But could they have made substantial edits in time for January?
‘Yes, in the modern world it’s very easy to get things changed and printed.
‘The key period for selling books is Christmas. So they’ll be missing a lot of sales. January doesn’t strike me as an optimum time for a release, so that is significant – it would suggest there’s been a bit of a dispute over the content and Harry may have got his way.’
[continued..]
Prince Harry’s memoir is called Spare: Release date set for January 10 | Daily Mail Online