View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Publishers
  2. Magazines
January 18, 2012

OK and Hello: Most content is pre-approved with celebs

By Dominic Ponsford

The editors of magazines OK and Hello revealed today that most of their content is pre-approved by the celebrities that feature in their titles.

Celebrity weekly editors Lucie Cave of Heat (circulation 327,000), Lisa Byrne of OK (473,000) and Rosie Nixon of Hello (circulation 413,00) gave evidence together to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards this morning.

Nixon revealed that 70 per cent of the material in her magazine is pre-agreed and Byrne that 80 per cent of the content in her magazine is pre-agreed.

Cave said that Heat does not generally give celebrities copy approval.

All three were asked what they would do if they contacted the subject of a story in advance and their representative said they did not want it to appear.

Heat’s Cave said: “If it was a big story for our readers about a couple that have split up for example and we feel it is important to tell our readers about it we take the stance that we still would publish it. However we will work with the PRs.”

Hello editor Nixon said: “If somebody doesn’t want us to run something we don’t run it. We wouldn’t get access to a big event in their lives in the future if we have done something to upset them.”

Content from our partners
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it
Impress: Regulation, arbitration and complaints resolution

Asked if OK magazine would run a story when somebody has said no to it appearing, Byrne said: “I can’t remember that ever happening.”

Heat editor Cave was quizzed about pictures which recently appeared in her title of Simon Cowell on a yacht with a woman – apparently taken in a private place.

Cave said: “We didn’t check with Simon Cowell in this instance…We know from working with him that he enjoys the lifestyle that goes with his celebrity and we took the decision that he’s clearly playing up to the paparazzi that are there. In this instance we didn’t feel that he would have a problem with us publishing that picture.”

Cave said it was not unusual for reality TV stars to make money from selling posed pictures to celebrity magazines. She said that Heat magazine, unusually, generally makes it clear to readers when it is publishing posed pictures.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network