Amanda Platell

Amanda Platell (born 1957)^[1] is an Australian journalist. Between 1999 and 2001 she was the press secretary to William Hague, the then leader of the British Conservative Party.^[2] She is currently based in the UK.

Personal life

Platell was born in Perth, Western Australia.^[1] Her father was a journalist working for 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,^[1] her first job was in 1978 when she joined the Perth Daily News.^[3]

She has lamented that for medical reasons she has been unable to have children.^[4]

Early British career

After a backpacking tour of the world with her then fiance John Chenery, she arrived in London in 1985.^[1] Aiming to earn enough money to return home she worked as a freelancer for publications including The Observer and the Sunday Express.^[3]

After being part of the start-up team of Today,^[1] she then joined Robert Maxwell's short-lived London Daily News,^[1] before returning under Today editor David Montgomery in 1987 as deputy editor.^[3] In 1993 she was appointed managing editor of the Mirror Group, and then moved in the same year to The Independent, initially as marketing director and then managing director.^[3]

In 1996 she joined the Sunday Mirror as acting editor, where she was the superior of Labour party's later director of communications, Alastair Campbell. In 1998 she was appointed acting editor of the Sunday Express, a position she was sacked from by Rosie Boycott following the publication of details of Peter Mandelson's gay relationship with his Brazilian 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.^[5]

It was from 1999 to 2001 that Platell moved into politics to become the Conservative Party'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.

Later media career

Since 2002, Platell has contributed as a freelancer to the Daily Mail, her spiritual home. ^[3]

On 21 November 2011, at the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practice and ethics of the British press, Hugh Grant accused Platell of a "hatchet job" on his recent fatherhood following an article she wrote for the Daily Mail.^[6][7]

She has recently written articles calling for greater restrictions on Internet pornography.^[8]

Television

• Unspin: Amanda Platell's Secret Video Diary – Channel 4 (2001)
• Morgan & Platell – Channel 4 (2004–005)
• Prime Ministers Spouses – Channel 4 (2005)
• Crisis Command: Could You Run The Country? – BBC Two (2004)
• Bee in Your Bonnet – BBC Two (2004)
• How Euro Are You? – BBC Two (2005)
• Richard & Judy – Channel 4 (2001–07), regular commentator
• The Daily Politics – BBC Two
• Question Time – BBC One (1993, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014), panellist
• The Apprentice: You're Fired! – BBC Two (2008, 2009, 2010), guest panellist
• The Andrew Marr Show – BBC One (2005–), regular newspaper reviewer
• The Alan Titchmarsh Show – ITV (2007–), occasional discussion contributor
• This Morning – ITV (2009–), occasional newspaper reviewer

References

External links

• "Amanda Platell: Nobody's fool" profile at BBC