# Northern & Shell

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British publishing and television group

Northern & Shell plc The Northern & Shell Building in front of Tower 42, with 20 Fenchurch Street under construction, in August 2012. Type Limited company Founder Richard Desmond Services Publishing and television Owner Richard Desmond

**Northern & Shell** (holding company name Northern and Shell Network Ltd) is a British [publishing](/source/Publishing) group, founded in December 1974 and owned since then by [Richard Desmond](/source/Richard_Desmond). Formerly a publisher of pornographic magazines including *[Penthouse](/source/Penthouse_(magazine))* and *[Asian Babes](/source/Asian_Babes)*,[1] it published the *[Daily Express](/source/Daily_Express)*, *[Sunday Express](/source/Daily_Express#Sunday_Express)*, *[Daily Star](/source/Daily_Star_(United_Kingdom))* and *[Daily Star Sunday](/source/Daily_Star_Sunday)*, and the magazines *[OK!](/source/OK!)*, *[New!](/source/New!)* and *Star* until these were sold to [Trinity Mirror](/source/Trinity_Mirror) in February 2018. Northern & Shell also owned three entertainment [television channels](/source/Television_channels): [Channel 5](/source/Channel_5_(UK)), [5*](/source/5*) and [5USA](/source/5USA) until 2015. It owned [Portland TV](/source/Portland_TV),[2] which operates [pornographic](/source/Pornography) TV channels including [Television X](/source/Television_X) and [Red Hot TV](/source/Red_Hot_TV_(UK)); the company sold Portland in April 2016.[3]

Northern & Shell has operated [The Health Lottery](/source/The_Health_Lottery) in the UK since it launched in 2011.

## History

Desmond founded Northern & Shell in 1974 and launched a magazine called *[International Musician and Recording World](/source/International_Musician_and_Recording_World)*. In 1983, Northern & Shell obtained the licence to publish *[Penthouse](/source/Penthouse_(magazine))* in the United Kingdom which led to its publishing a range of pornographic titles,[4] *[Asian Babes](/source/Asian_Babes)* among them.[5][6] The company's business model for pornographic magazines focussed on specialisation and niche publishing, with multiple titles produced at low cost and targeted at particular tastes.[7] These titles were later sold in 2004. It was the first company to move to the revamped [Docklands](/source/London_Docklands) and the [Princess Royal](/source/Anne%2C_Princess_Royal) opened the offices.

When the company moved to the Northern & Shell Tower in [Canary Wharf](/source/Canary_Wharf), the [Duke of Edinburgh](/source/Prince_Philip%2C_Duke_of_Edinburgh) opened the offices.[7]

In the early 1990s Northern & Shell began to publish a wider range of magazines, including comics and the gay lifestyle magazine*[Attitude](/source/Attitude_(magazine))*. Other titles were *For Women*, a women's magazine launched in 1992 in the style of *[Cosmopolitan](/source/Cosmopolitan_(magazine))* but with nude male photosets, and the celebrity weekly *[OK!](/source/OK!)*,[7] which started as a monthly in 1993.

By 1996, the pornographic subsidiary, Fantasy Publications, claimed to be selling 1.5 million copies a month of magazines such as *Amateur Video*, *Real Wives*, *New Talent* and *Penthouse*.[8] In November 2000, Northern & Shell acquired Express Newspapers from [United News & Media](/source/United_Business_Media) for £125 million,[9] enlarging the group to include the *Daily* and *Sunday Express* titles, the *Daily Star* and *Daily Star Sunday* (which Desmond started), and the *Irish Star* (owned jointly with the Irish Independent group). The *Daily* and *Sunday Express* each sell around 700,000 copies per issue. [*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Northern & Shell had borrowed £97 million (approximately US$190 million) for the Express group purchase.

Northern & Shell's "portfolio" of soft-porn magazines was offered for sale in 2001 in order to provide cash to invest in the then newly acquired Express Newspapers group. Some viewed the sale as an attempt to distance the company from the pornography business, but most analysts believed it to be only a financial move as [The Fantasy Channel](/source/The_Fantasy_Channel), Northern and Shell's adult cable channel, wasn't included in the sale.[10]

In 2004, Northern & Shell sought acquisition of additional publications — *[The Spectator](/source/The_Spectator)* and *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*, along with its sister publication *The Sunday Telegraph*. It was unsuccessful in its bid for *The Telegraph*, losing out to [David and Frederick Barclay](/source/David_and_Frederick_Barclay), who had long sought to own the paper.[11]

On 23 July 2010, Northern & Shell bought Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, which operates [Channel 5](/source/Channel_5_(UK)), [5*](/source/5*) and [5USA](/source/5USA) for €125 million (£103.5 million) from the [RTL Group](/source/RTL_Group).[12] On 1 May 2014, the channels were sold to [Viacom](/source/Viacom_(2005%E2%80%93present)) for £450 million (US$759 million).[13]

In 2013, Northern & Shell announced that its TV listing magazine *TV Pick* would no longer be published.[14]

In 2014, Northern & Shell invested in a series of startups under the brand Northern & Shell Ventures.[15] This included investments in [OpenRent](/source/OpenRent), Tepilo and Lulu.[16][17]

In February 2018, [Trinity Mirror](/source/Trinity_Mirror) purchased Northern & Shell's publishing operations (titles including the *Daily Express*, *Sunday Express*, *Daily Star* and *Daily Star Sunday*; and three celebrity magazines, *OK!*, *New!*, and *Star*) for £126.7 million.[18]

## Building

The building at 10 Lower Thames Street was built in 1985[19] and has a distinctive blue glass facade. It is next door to the old [Billingsgate](/source/Billingsgate) fish market and was first built for [Samuel Montagu & Co.](/source/Samuel_Montagu_%26_Co.)[20] It is now partly occupied by N&S and partly rented out as serviced offices.

The building featured in the TV series Bergerac, Series 6 Episode 6 "A man of sorrows", the building frontage badged as Insurance company Norman Deutscher Greenburg. Inside the building features some interior lifts with panoramic views overlooking the foyer.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Banham, Mark (17 March 2011). ["Richard Desmond's four decades in magazines"](https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/richard-desmonds-four-decades-magazines/1060545). *www.campaignlive.co.uk*. Retrieved 8 November 2021.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Portland TV"](http://www.portlandtv.co.uk/). Portland TV. Retrieved 26 June 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Richard desmond sells adult tv channels for less than £1m"](http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/richard-desmond-sells-adult-tv-channels-less-1m/1389668). *Campaign*. Campaign Live. Retrieved 31 August 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-North_and_Shell_4-0)** ["About Northern & Shell"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070120145612/http://www.northernandshell.com/about/index.php). *Northern & Shell*. N&S Network. Archived from [the original](http://www.northernandshell.com/about/index.php) on 20 January 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Jane Arthurs, Jean Grimshaw, "Women's bodies: discipline and transgression", Continuum International Publishing Group, 1999, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-304-33963-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-304-33963-6), pp.191-192

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Clarissa Smith, "One for the girls!: the pleasures and practices of reading women's porn", *European Communication Research and Education Association Series*, Intellect Books, 2007, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-84150-164-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84150-164-6), p.57

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Clarissa_Smith_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Clarissa_Smith_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Clarissa_Smith_7-2) Smith, Clarissa (2005). ["A Perfectly British Business: Stagnation, Continuities, and Change on the Top Shelf"](https://books.google.com/books?id=qsHmMoq-gK0C&pg=PA159). In Sigel, Lisa Z. (ed.). *International Exposure: Perspectives on Modern European Pornography, 1800-2000*. Rutgers University Press. pp. 159–161. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780813535197](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780813535197).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Cavendish, Dominic; Brace, Matthew (20 April 1996). ["`If you're not turned on by it, you shouldn't work here'"](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/if-you-re-not-turned-on-by-it-you-shouldn-t-work-here-1305943.html). *The Independent*. Retrieved 29 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-profile_9-0)** Jorn Madslien (12 February 2006). ["Profile: Richard Desmond"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3479581.stm). BBC.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-BBC_sell_adult_10-0)** ["Desmond to sell 'adult' titles"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1111704.stm). *BBC News Online: Business*. BBC. 11 January 2001. Retrieved 22 December 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Barclays_buy_11-0)** Ben Richardson (23 June 2004). ["Does the Telegraph bid add up?"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3832577.stm). *BBC News Online Analysis*. BBC. Retrieved 22 December 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["RTL Group sells UK broadcaster Five"](http://www.rtlgroup.com/www/htm/home_news.aspx?ID=C57D4206AF294A979A24C3EE4270E175) (Press release). RTL Group. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Viacom to buy Channel 5 for £450m"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27240335). BBC News. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Desmond's TV Pick closes after 22 issues"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/jul/29/northernandshell-magazines). *The Guardian*. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Northern & Shell Ventures"](http://www.northernandshell.co.uk/ns-ventures).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Steve, O'Hear. ["Online Renting Service OpenRent Scores Media-For-Equity Deal From Northern & Shell Ventures"](https://techcrunch.com/2014/08/18/media-for-equity/). TechCrunch.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Richard Desmond: Google are gangsters, but wear fantastic sweaters"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/mediamonkeyblog/2015/jun/12/richard-desmond-google-gangsters-wear-fantastic-sweaters). *The Guardian*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Mirror buys Express titles from Richard Desmond"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42991304). BBC News. 9 February 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Northern & Shell Building"](https://www.buildington.co.uk/london-ec3/10-lower-thames-street/northern-shell-building/id/3260). *Buildington*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Planning Application 16/01252/FUL [https://www.planning2.cityoflondon.gov.uk/online-applications/files/E10718A1BAED9E3BF59846668C4FDB96/pdf/16_01252_FULMAJ-DESIGN_AND_ACCESS_STATEMENT_PT_1-355418.pdf](https://www.planning2.cityoflondon.gov.uk/online-applications/files/E10718A1BAED9E3BF59846668C4FDB96/pdf/16_01252_FULMAJ-DESIGN_AND_ACCESS_STATEMENT_PT_1-355418.pdf)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

v t e Northern & Shell Publications Former Daily Express, Sunday Express Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday OK! Star New! Asian Babes International Musician and Recording World Other The Health Lottery People Richard Desmond Category

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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Northern & Shell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_%26_Shell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_%26_Shell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.