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…

DailyMailPrince 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…

DailyMailThe 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…

Daily MailThe duchess is following in the footsteps of other celebrities with the appearance – other keynote speakers have previously included former first lady Michelle Obama.In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined New York-based Harry Walker Agency, which represents the Obamas and the Clintons.PR expert Mark Borkowski told The Sun the pair will ‘clean up’. They plan to be available for talks on social issues including racial justice, gender equality, the environment and mental health, according to the LA Times.’I’m surprised they haven’t done this sooner. It will be one of the great income generators for them. The…

MailOnlineA casual-looking Liz Truss headed to Chequers in black Ray-Ban sunglasses today as one of the UK’s leading brand experts predicted her earning power when she leaves No 10 will be far worse than her predecessors because her 44 days as Prime Minister were a ‘gigantic car crash she has engineered’.The outgoing Tory leader is off to the PM’s country home with her husband Hugh O’Leary for her last weekend in power as the row over her proposed £19,000 payoff plus an allowance of up to £115,000-a-year for life rumbles on.As she prepares for life after No 10, PR guru Mark Borkowski predicted she…

NewsweekMeghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast can be “very negative” and would benefit from “balancing the narrative,” a public relations expert told Newsweek.On the latest episode of her Spotify show, the Duchess of Sussex described feeling “objectified” when she was a briefcase girl on the game show Deal or No Deal from 2006 to 2007. The episode, titled “Breaking Down the Bimbo,” included an interview with Paris Hilton.In response, actress Claudia Jordan, who performed the same role on Deal, posted an Instagram story presenting an alternative perspective, although she characterized herself as someone who generally defends Markle against public vitriol.The saga left Roz Sheldon, managing partner of U.K.-based PR…

Spear’sThe debate on how to balance the country’s books dominated the latter stages of the recent Tory leadership race – but it was April’s front-page revelations about the ‘non-dom’ status of Rishi Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, that some believe scuppered the chances of the former frontrunner. Luke Tryl, director of research agency More in Common, told the Times that revelations around Murty’s tax affairs had ‘crystallised’ Sunak’s popularity dive.When her tax status hit the front pages, Murty quickly changed tack and agreed to pay UK tax on her foreign earnings – which included dividend payments from India-based tech company Infosys,…

Mark’s post on LinkedInTo those outside the UK bubble, Channel 4 might seem like a bit of an oddity. Established as a public broadcaster that platforms voices underrepresented by the more establishment BBC, it has evolved into an eccentric mix of respected hard news, edgy and critically lauded comedy and drama, and the most inconsequentially silly reality and light-entertainment Alan Partridge ever deleted from his Dictaphone.This week Channel4 has dominated headlines by focusing on the latter element of its output and seizing the initiative from ITV and Channel 5 as the silliest billy in UK television by announcing a series of shows…

iNewsFor Radio 1’s teenage listeners, the Newsbeat reporters introduced as William and Kate might have sounded a little plummier than the bulletin’s regular contributors.But the Prince and Princess of Wales’s message that mental health must move up the nation’s priority list resonated with the pop station’s audience and marked a new evolution in the couple’s engagement with the media.The Queen’s death has given the core Royal Family members an opportunity to “reset” relations with a voracious media and explore new methods of communicating directly with the wider public, insiders say.King Charles is enjoying a honeymoon period with newspapers which once ridiculed his environmental passions, aided by the…

Mark’s LinkedIn postRoyals embrace BBC and social media in fresh communications strategy, but are warned off TikTok https://lnkd.in/e2HDsxqcThe strategy is being coordinated by Lee Thompson, a global communications whizz hired from US media giant NBC, where he was credited with helping grow CNBC’s YouTube audience by 600 per cent, as the Cambridge’s new PR chief.“They’ve brought in good advisers,” said Mark Borkowski, a PR expert. “The royals are in a battle to stay relevant so they have to use social media.”“During the Queen’s reign, the royals stuck to the traditional media they knew. Social media allows the next generation to…

Daily Mail Online PR experts have said that the celebrities taking part in SAS: Who Dares Wins might be underestimating just how gruelling the show is after a spate of contestants including rugby player Gareth Thomas, Towie star James Argent and The Wanted’s frontman Siva Kaneswaran were all reportedly forced to pull out of the reality quasi-military training show on medical grounds.The fifth series, which is currently being filmed in Thailand and due to be broadcast in the UK next year, is thought to have been plunged into chaos after six stars quit with serious injuries.Three of the famous cast members – Kaneswaran, former Liverpool footballer Jermaine Pennant…

The Mirror The Chase host Bradley Walsh may be about to pass ITV golden boy Phillip Schofield in popularity.Versatile Bradley, 62, is a huge hit with viewers which makes him an attractive target for advertisers, especially following Phil’s recent fall from grace.This Morning hosts Phil and Holly Willoughby faced widespread fury and calls for them to be fired after they were accused of queue-jumping to see the Queen lying in state last month.The presenting duo have insisted they went to Westminster as part of the media and were there strictly to report the event.Last week it was ­confirmed Phil, 60, has lost his £1million deal to…

BBC News Like many a political leader before her Liz Truss turned to pop music to make a big entrance at her annual party conference. It did not go down well with the band who created it – but why do politicians use music like this? And what does their choice of walk-on track tell us about them? There have been some bizarre choices over the years – Tony Blair once took to the stage to the angry sound of Seventies punks Sham 69. At a time when the Labour Party was tearing itself apart, Sham’s terrace anthem “if the…

iNewsThere have been “crisis talks” with ITV bosses over the claim of queue-jumping that reduced Holly Willoughby to floods of tears and damaged her £10m brand.The co-host of This Morning has refused to apologise for the row sparked by the allegation that she and co-presenter Phillip Schofield jumped the queue of mourners paying their respects to the Queen.The darling of daytime TV has been shaken by the public anger directed towards herself and Schofield over the claim that the pair used “VIP access” to jump the Westminster Hall line and file past the Queen’s lying-in-state.A blame game with ITV has resulted, after the claims spread on social…

CJMEA British PR agent and author believes the United Kingdom is now heading into “uncharted waters” with King Charles III as the head of the British monarchy.Mark Borkowski said it has been an extraordinary 10 days of mourning, with pomp, pageantry and ceremony — and everyone is trying to put things into perspective.“This is the end of an extraordinary reign from a remarkable woman — 70 years — who earned the respect not only of the nation but of the world because of her generosity, her sense of duty (and) values,” he said.Unfortunately, he said, some of those values have…

The Financial Times Center Parcs is one of many UK firms which have struggled to respond appropriately to the Queen’s death As a mark of respect to her Majesty, Center Parcs security guards will escort vacationers off the premises on Monday. After a night in a tent in a layby, they can return once the bank holiday is over. No, they won’t. Center Parcs will lock families in their rooms during the Queen’s funeral. Toddlers can climb the walls of the woodland lodges, but only inside, certainly not outside. No, hold on. They can walk around the woods in solemn…

The Guardian – 10th September 2022 Posts by Playmobil and Legoland Windsor provoked comment, as did the Queen Elizabeth II workout. Content is king, in #marketingspeak at least, but many brands have discovered that the Queen is not content. In the tumult of reaction to news of the Queen’s death, social media managers struggled to work out the best way to communicate to their customers. Was it an opportunity to provide a sombre and respectful acknowledgement of her reign? Or was it just an opportunity? Dale Vince, the founder of the electricity company Ecotricity and chairman of Forest Green Rovers,…

Daily Mail ‘I’m puzzled why they are coming’: Harry and Meghan are set to touch down in the UK on Sunday for European tour… after she launched new broadside at the royal family in interview that drew Mandela comparison https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11168399/amp/Harry-Meghan-set-return-UK-latest-broadside-royals.html Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s UK visit. Dates, schedule and itinerary (PDF)  

The NationalComedian Jerry Sadowitz is back doing voiceover work at Edinburgh FringeThe controversial comedian has been signed to record the scene-setter for a performance by Mark Borkowski, a celebrity publicist whose previous clients have included Noel Edmonds, Graham Norton and Joan Rivers.Borkowski’s show, False Teeth in a Pork Pie: How to Unleash Your Inner Crazy, is described as an “adventure” through his publicity career.He is one of the many critics of the Pleasance Theatre’s decision to axe Sadowitz’s show following complaints about some of the content at his first show.The theatre accused the comedian of “racism, sexism, homophobia and misogyny”…