The short version: I’m a freelance journalist and a former staffer at the UK editions of GQ and Men's Health. These days, I mainly write about health, fitness and nutrition, or wellness if you will, sport, work, productivity, self-improvement (AKA self-help), masculinity and fatherhood. My real specialist subject - and interest - is muscularity and male body image. Oh, and Bond.
My editorial work has also been published in Esquire, Vice, Mr Porter, Highsnobiety, FashionBeans, Howler, SoccerBible, Associated, The Jackal, Gentleman’s Journal, Jocks & Nerds, Soho House, Sleek, Amuse, Matchesfashion.com, Wired, Courier, Facebook Grow, Women’s Health, Grazia, Sunday Times Style, Square Meal, BBC Focus, British Airways High Life, The Huffington Post and The Evening Standard. I’ve been a columnist for GQ, Gentleman’s Journal, Courier and The Jackal on the disparate subjects of lifestyle, style, workplace wellness and fatherhood respectively.
I’ve done brand work and consultancy for Nike, Lululemon, Huel, Chelsea FC, Form Nutrition, Hugo Boss, John Lewis, Topman, Orlebar Brown and Thom Sweeney. I’ve compiled trend reports for the Global Wellness Institute and WGSN.
The long version: I started my career at British GQ where I worked for four and a half years, initially as features writer on GQ.com. I assumed responsibility for the online style, grooming and watches content, attending the London, Milan and Paris menswear shows, plus the Basel and Geneva watch fairs. I conducted red carpet and backstage video interviews at the GQ Men of the Year awards. And I became a columnist for the magazine, “The GQ Lifestyle Guru” (I didn’t come up with the name), learning the etiquette of bespoke suits, personalised stationery and signature cocktails. Nice work if you can get it etc.
I then moved to Men's Health UK for three and a half years, initially as commissioning editor responsible for the magazine’s front section, Agenda. I gave it a new, well, agenda (referred to internally as “hipster fitness”, a name I did come up with) and instituted many franchises that are still in rotation. I then became associate editor (style), brackets and all, which basically means that I wrote about clothes rather than dressed people in them. As well as the monthly Style section, I was jointly responsible for the biannual Urban Active fashion and annual Synchronised watch supplements, so I got a taste of what it was like to edit a mini-magazine.
Eventually I twigged that being an editor wasn’t the same thing as being a writer and that all the editing was getting in the way of writing, which is what I really enjoy. So I went freelance. I still frequently write for Men's Health as a contributing editor, a role that doesn’t actually involve all that much editing, if any, but sounds more impressive than “freelance journalist”.
I’ve been fortunate to interview many celebrities and other noteworthy individuals (healthy or stylish men, mostly) for magazine covers. I’ve profiled Jason Statham, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Hemsworth, Henry Cavill, Kelly Slater, Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Joshua, to namedrop a few.
I’ve modelled in a catwalk show at London Fashion Week. I’ve transformed my body for (a workout booklet attached to) the front of Men's Health and the Daily Mail “sidebar of shame”. I’ve fallen at the second hurdle of the Ninja Warrior UK obstacle course. I’ve performed my own stand-up at a comedy club and, with laughably little training, cycled 202km across South Africa in one go. Which of those last two was most painful depends on where you were sitting.
