From the Vault | Dean Piper on the 'murky' world of celebrity journalism.

Mar 25, 2024

01:09:22

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This episode was originally published in February 2023.

Dean Piper! I can't lie, I enjoyed this conversation with Dean immensely and actually found it to be an incredibly cathartic experience too.

Dean and I were both 'celebrity journalists' at a time when celebrity journalism was called-in to editors via brick phones and gathered on the dancefloor at nightclubs or in the loos at award ceremonies. It was the era of celebrity weddings, showbiz couples with portmanteau nicknames and when daily sales of newspapers and magazines running showbiz gossip ran into the millions.

However, while it was fun for a while, about ten years ago Dean turned his back on 'that life'. In fact, he didn't just turn on his heel, he walked out with no job to go to, no plan and no idea what the future would hold.

This conversation details why Dean has never looked back, why he felt it was time to leave and how disappointed he is that in the ten years since he left, celebrity journalism has become so murky and destructive. We discuss some of his biggest regrets while working on tabloids, how he got some of his juiciest scoops back in the day and what happens, and who stops calling when you walk away from the most powerful job in showbiz.

If you enjoy Dean's insights here then you'll love his Substack where he's writing a weekly column about his life in showbiz.

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