# Amanda Platell

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Australian journalist

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Amanda Platell In 2017 at a London Press Club event Born Amanda Jane Platell (1957-11-12) 12 November 1957 (age 68) Perth, Western Australia Occupations Journalist and television presenter Spouse John Chenery (div)[1]

**Amanda Jane Platell** (born 12 November 1957)[1][2] is an Australian [journalist](/source/Journalist). Between 1999 and 2001 she was the press secretary to [William Hague](/source/William_Hague), the then leader of the British [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)).[3] She is currently based in the UK.

## Personal life

Platell was born in [Perth](/source/Perth), Western Australia.[1] Her father was a journalist working for *[The West Australian](/source/The_West_Australian)* newspaper and her mother was a secretary. Platell graduated with an Honours Degree in Politics and Philosophy from the [University of Western Australia](/source/University_of_Western_Australia).[1] Her first job was in 1978 when she joined the *[Perth Daily News](/source/Daily_News_(Perth%2C_Western_Australia)).*[4]

She has lamented that for medical reasons she has been unable to have children.[5]

## Early British career

After a [backpacking](/source/Backpacking_(travel)) tour of the world with her then fiancé John Chenery, she arrived in [London](/source/London) in 1985.[1] Aiming to earn enough money to return home she worked as a freelancer for publications including *[The Observer](/source/The_Observer_Magazine)* and the *[Sunday Express](/source/Sunday_Express).*[4]

After being part of the start-up team of *[Today](/source/Today_(UK_newspaper)),*[1] she then joined [Robert Maxwell](/source/Robert_Maxwell)'s short-lived *[London Daily News](/source/London_Daily_News),*[1] before returning under *Today* editor [David Montgomery](/source/David_Montgomery_(newspaper_executive)) in 1987 as deputy editor.[4] In 1993 she was appointed managing editor of the [Mirror Group](/source/Mirror_Group), and then moved in the same year to *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent),* initially as marketing director and then managing director.[4]

In 1996 she joined the *[Sunday Mirror](/source/Sunday_Mirror)* as acting editor, where she was the superior of Labour party's later director of communications, [Alastair Campbell](/source/Alastair_Campbell). In 1998 she was appointed acting editor of the *[Sunday Express](/source/Sunday_Express),* a position she was sacked from by [Rosie Boycott](/source/Rosie_Boycott) following the publication of details of [Peter Mandelson's](/source/Peter_Mandelson) gay relationship with his [Brazilian](/source/Brazil) partner.[1]

In 1999, Platell published a novel *Scandal*, about women in the newspaper industry. "Two editors, one paper, may the best woman win" was how the cover summarised the plot.[6]

It was from 1999 to 2001 that Platell moved into politics to become the [Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK))'s head of media, during which she supported William Hague, advising him to just "be yourself" as it was at these times he was his strongest.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] In her role, Platell made an important contribution to Hague's reversion from a modernising agenda to a 'core vote' strategy pursued during the 1999 European Elections, in which the Conservatives gained the most votes, as well as the 2001 General Election campaign. Hague, however, only managed to make a net gain of 1 seat in 2001, forcing his resignation shortly after the General Election.

## Later media career

Since 2002, Platell has contributed as a freelancer to the *[Daily Mail](/source/Daily_Mail)*.[4]

On 21 November 2011, at the [Leveson Inquiry](/source/Leveson_Inquiry) into the culture, practice and ethics of the British press, [Hugh Grant](/source/Hugh_Grant) accused Platell of a "hatchet job" on his recent fatherhood following an article she wrote for the *Daily Mail*.[7]

She has written articles calling for greater restrictions on [Internet pornography](/source/Internet_pornography).[8]

Platell regularly reviewed the Sunday newspapers on *[The Andrew Marr Show](/source/The_Andrew_Marr_Show)*.

In 2020 the *Daily Mail* paid [damages](/source/Damages) of £25,000 to the Cambridge academic Professor [Priyamvada Gopal](/source/Priyamvada_Gopal) and agreed to pay her legal costs after Platell [libellously](/source/Libel) claimed, citing fake tweets, that she was "attempting to incite an aggressive and potentially violent [race war](/source/Race_war)".[9][10]

## Television

- *Unspin: Amanda Platell's Secret Video Diary* – Channel 4 (2001)

- *Morgan & Platell* – Channel 4 (2004–2005)

- *Prime Ministers Spouses* – Channel 4 (2005)

- *[Crisis Command: Could You Run The Country?](/source/Crisis_Command)* – BBC Two (2004)

- *Bee in Your Bonnet* – BBC Two (2004)

- *How Euro Are You?* – BBC Two (2005)

- *[Richard & Judy](/source/Richard_%26_Judy)* – Channel 4 (2001–07), regular commentator

- *[The Daily Politics](/source/The_Daily_Politics)* – BBC Two

- *[Question Time](/source/Question_Time_(TV_series))* – BBC One (1993, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014), panellist

- *[The Apprentice: You're Fired!](/source/The_Apprentice%3A_You're_Fired!)* – BBC Two (2008, 2009, 2010), guest panellist

- *[The Andrew Marr Show](/source/The_Andrew_Marr_Show)* – BBC One (2005–), regular newspaper reviewer

- *[The Alan Titchmarsh Show](/source/The_Alan_Titchmarsh_Show)* – ITV (2007–), occasional discussion contributor

- *[This Morning](/source/This_Morning_(TV_series))* – ITV (2009–), occasional newspaper reviewer

- *Dan Wootton Tonight* – [GB News](/source/GB_News) (2021–), weekly panellist

- *Press Preview* – [Sky News](/source/Sky_News) (2023–), weekly panellist

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IndpSatProf_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IndpSatProf_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-IndpSatProf_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-IndpSatProf_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-IndpSatProf_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-IndpSatProf_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-IndpSatProf_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-IndpSatProf_1-7) Anne McElvoy (27 March 1999). ["Amanda Platell, Conservative Party Press Secretary: The new woman in Hague's life"](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-saturday-profile-amanda-platell-conservative-party-press-secretary-the-new-woman-in-hagues-life-1083194.html). *The Independent*. London. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121111172245/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-saturday-profile-amanda-platell-conservative-party-press-secretary-the-new-woman-in-hagues-life-1083194.html) from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Amanda Jane PLATELL – Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)"](https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/IDIofvFIHmqPos6gLaye9aXCZOM/appointments). *beta.companieshouse.gov.uk*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Key Hague aide Platell resigns"](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1424653.stm). *BBC News*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IndpMLIM_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IndpMLIM_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-IndpMLIM_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-IndpMLIM_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-IndpMLIM_4-4) Morris, Sophie (7 April 2008). ["My Life in Media: Amanda Platell"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/my-life-in-media-amanda-platell-805351.html). *The Independent*. London. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080411015223/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/my-life-in-media-amanda-platell-805351.html) from the original on 11 April 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [https://www.newstatesman.com/node/194946](https://www.newstatesman.com/node/194946) [*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Amanda Platell (1999), *Scandal*, Piatkus

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["'Hatchet job': Hugh Grant's OTHER claim against the Mail"](http://www.theweek.co.uk/politics/leveson-inquiry/42866/hatchet-job-hugh-grants-other-claim-against-mail), *The Week* (22 November 2011). Retrieved on 25 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Wired_8-0)** [Daily Mail defends anti-porn crusade at Google's Big Tent](https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-05/24/sex-safety-and-censorship) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160415232342/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-05/24/sex-safety-and-censorship) 15 April 2016 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *[Wired](/source/Wired_(magazine))*, 24 May 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Daily Mail pays £25,000 to professor it falsely accused of inciting race war"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/nov/13/daily-mail-pays-25000-to-professor-it-falsely-accused-of-inciting-race-war-priyamvada-gopal-fake-tweets). *[TheGuardian.com](/source/TheGuardian.com)*. 13 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [Daily Mail and MailOnline apologise and pay £25,000 in damages to University of Cambridge professor over false racism allegations in Amanda Platell column](https://www.carter-ruck.com/images/uploads/documents/GOPAL_Press_Release-_131120.pdf). Press release by Carter-Ruck Solicitors, 13 November 2020.

## External links

- ["Amanda Platell: Nobody's fool"](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1440066.stm) profile at BBC

Media offices Preceded by Jonathan Holborow Deputy Editor of Today 1987–1992 Succeeded by ? Preceded by Tessa Hilton Acting Editor of the Sunday Mirror 1996–1997 Succeeded by Bridget Rowe Preceded by Richard Addis Editor of the Sunday Express 1998–1999 Succeeded by Michael Pilgrim

v t e Editors of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday Pictorial Daily Mirror 1903: Mary Howarth 1904: Hamilton Fyfe 1907: Alexander Kenealy 1915: Ed Flynn 1916: Alexander Campbell 1931: Leigh Brownlee 1934: Cecil Thomas 1948: Silvester Bolam 1953: Jack Nener 1961: Lee Howard 1971: Tony Miles 1974: Michael Christiansen 1975: Mike Molloy 1985: Richard Stott 1990: Roy Greenslade 1991: Richard Stott 1992: David Banks 1994: Colin Myler 1995: Piers Morgan 2004: Richard Wallace 2012: Peter Willis 2018: Alison Phillips 2024: Caroline Waterston 2025 to date: Chloe Hubbard Sunday Pictorial 1915: F. R. Sanderson 1921: William McWhirter 1924: David Grant 1928: William McWhirter 1929: David Grant 1938: Hugh Cudlipp 1940: Stuart Campbell 1946: Hugh Cudlipp 1949: Philip Zec 1952: Hugh Cudlipp 1953: Colin Valdar 1959: Lee Howard 1961: Reg Payne Sunday Mirror 1963: Michael Christiansen 1972: Bob Edwards 1984: Peter Thompson 1986: Mike Molloy 1988: Eve Pollard 1991: Bridget Rowe 1992: Colin Myler 1994: Paul Connew 1995: Tessa Hilton 1996: Amanda Platell 1997: Bridget Rowe 1998: Brendon Parsons 1998: Colin Myler 2001: Tina Weaver 2012: Alison Phillips 2016: Gary Jones 2018: Peter Willis 2020: Paul Henderson 2021: Gemma Aldridge 2024: Caroline Waterston 2025 to date: Chloe Hubbard

v t e Express newspapers Daily Express editors 1900: Arthur Pearson 1901: Fletcher Robinson 1909: R. D. Blumenfeld 1929: Beverley Baxter 1933: Arthur Christiansen 1957: Edward Pickering 1961: Bob Edwards 1962: Roger Wood 1963: Bob Edwards 1965: Derek Marks 1971: Ian McColl 1974: Alastair Burnet 1976: Roy Wright 1977: Derek Jameson 1980: Arthur Firth 1981: Christopher Ward 1983: Larry Lamb 1986: Nicholas Lloyd 1995: Richard Addis 1998: Rosie Boycott 2001: Chris Williams 2003: Peter Hill 2011: Hugh Whittow 2018: Gary Jones Sunday Express editors 1920: James Douglas 1928: James Douglas and John Gordon 1931: John Gordon 1952: Harold Keeble 1954: John Junor 1986: Robin Esser 1989: Robin Morgan 1991: Eve Pollard 1994: Brian Hitchen 1995: Sue Douglas 1996: Richard Addis 1998: Amanda Platell 1999: Michael Pilgrim 2001: Martin Townsend 2018: Michael Booker Other topics Daily Express Building, London Daily Express Building, Manchester James Bond comic strip Northern & Shell Richard Desmond Rupert Bear Sunday Express Dunblane controversy The Sunday Express Book of the Year

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF WorldCat National United States

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Amanda Platell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Platell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Platell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.