Jess Phillips
Jess Phillips is Showbiz Editor at the Express, covering television and celebrity stories with a particular emphasis on ITV soaps.
Television flashpoints and live broadcast moments
Phillips treats television as the centre of her beat, paying close attention to how live broadcasts turn into talking points. In coverage such as her piece on GB News halting its schedule for a breaking announcement featuring Rachel Reeves, she presents the incident as a television event first, then shows how that intersects with political scrutiny and on-air criticism. Her headlines foreground the drama of the broadcast itself, using language that highlights the tension and confrontational tone of these moments rather than offering a neutral recap.
This approach distinguishes her from more generic entertainment reporters who might simply summarise programming changes or ratings. Phillips focuses on the way live TV formats - panel shows, rolling news and special announcements - shape public perception of the figures involved, and she does so from the vantage point of the showbiz desk rather than the politics team.
Her work keeps the mechanics of television front and centre: what was interrupted, how the announcement was framed, and how the on-air discourse turned into a wider media story.
Celebrity and media narratives
Alongside television coverage, Phillips writes broadly about celebrity culture and the stories that flow between celebrities, broadcasters and audiences. Her beat includes reality TV personalities, presenters, and actors whose careers are closely tied to specific programmes or channels.
Instead of dwelling on lifestyle detail, she tracks how public profiles rise and fall through appearances, controversies and programming decisions, and how broadcasters leverage those personalities to drive attention.
In this strand of her work, she often positions celebrities within a wider media narrative, connecting their actions or statements to the shows they anchor and the channels that host them. That allows her to cover celebrity news without losing sight of the business and editorial choices behind it. As an editor as well as a writer, she shapes coverage that treats celebrity stories as part of the television ecosystem, not standalone gossip.
ITV soaps and serial storytelling
Phillips has a particular affinity for ITV soaps, and this is a recurring thread in her coverage. She focuses on long-running serial dramas where character arcs, casting changes and major plotlines become news in themselves. Her work on this sub-beat looks at how story decisions land with audiences, how landmark episodes are promoted, and how off-screen developments - such as departures or returns - affect the rhythm of these shows.
This soap coverage is detailed and iterative, reflecting the ongoing nature of the programmes. Phillips draws out the significance of key episodes or twists without losing the day-to-day cadence that keeps loyal viewers engaged. Her focus on ITV soaps differentiates her within the entertainment desk, giving her a clear niche that combines narrative analysis with news judgement about which developments merit wider attention.
Editing the showbiz desk
Phillips operates not only as a reporter but as Showbiz Editor, shaping the overall direction of the Express’s entertainment output. Her role involves setting priorities across TV, celebrity and soaps, deciding which stories the desk pursues and how they are framed for a digital audience. She balances fast-turnaround coverage of live television moments with ongoing attention to serial shows and recurring personalities, ensuring the showbiz section reflects both immediacy and continuity.
Before taking on the editorship, Phillips built a career in entertainment and media journalism through senior roles at the Daily Star and as Deputy Editor at a screen-focused digital hub, after starting out in local journalism at the St Helens Star. That progression informs her present-day work: she brings tabloid headline instincts, digital platform experience and local newsroom discipline to the way she commissions, edits and writes. The result is a showbiz desk where television, celebrity and soap coverage are tightly curated around the moments and narratives most likely to resonate with viewers.
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Abbie Bray
Abbie Bray reports on how television affects the people on screen and the viewers at home. She is acting head of Screen Time, working across national and regional titles on dramas, soaps, factual entertainment and live broadcasts. Her focus includes Death in Paradise, Beyond Paradise, Vera and Midsomer Murders, as well as Gardeners’ World, Our Yorkshire Farm, Countryfile, Garden Rescue and A Place in the Sun. She also covers presenters, long-running series, sports broadcasts, viewer complaints and Ofcom scrutiny. Before Screen Time, she was a TV reporter for Metro and the Daily Express, then held weekend TV editor, assistant TV editor and deputy showbiz editor roles. Her reporting links TV formats to grief, career changes, casting, audience reaction and the personal stakes behind live coverage.
Adam Bloodworth
Adam Bloodworth covers how culture, nightlife and luxury spaces shape modern entertainment and everyday life. He is a Features Journalist and Deputy Life&Style Editor at City A.M., where he has written and commissioned culture and lifestyle features since 2022. He is also Deputy Editor of City A.M. The Magazine. His beat includes film, TV, music, theatre, things to do, restaurants, hotels, members’ clubs, fashion and LGBTQ storytelling. He has written for The Telegraph, The Independent, VICE, Metro and HuffPost UK. He reviews gigs, theatre and restaurants, profiles venues and reports on live-music infrastructure. His work often combines criticism with first-person experience, judging places and performances by their atmosphere, stories and audience experience. He also interviews public figures and appears as an on-air commentator.
Adam England
Adam England stands out for linking celebrity news to wider trends in music, sport, health and everyday life. He is a writer-reporter on the news team at People, where he covers entertainment, culture and lifestyle through timely stories and evergreen explainers. His work has appeared in publications including The Guardian, The Independent, Vice, Dazed, Healthline and Verywell Mind. He writes about music, screen entertainment, celebrity careers, fan communities, sport, cultural history, mental health, travel, pets, relationships and social affairs. His explainers include the 2023 NFL Draft and Bruce Lee’s death. He also reports on sensitive celebrity health stories, such as Lionel Richie cutting a concert short after feeling dizzy. His reporting is clear, factual and service-driven. He strips back jargon and mythology, uses lived experience and expert input where relevant, and avoids sensationalism.
Adam White
Adam White is features editor across culture and lifestyle at The Independent. He writes and commissions long-form features, essays and interviews on film, television, music and entertainment. His work examines how fame, fandom and taste shape contemporary culture, from streaming thrillers and celebrity disclosure to festivals, live music and creative careers. His writing has appeared in Dazed, Huck, i-D, Playboy, The Telegraph, The i, Little White Lies, The Quietus and Nylon. He uses a strong, voice-led style that combines reporting, observation and personal immersion. His streaming coverage treats television as something experienced as much as watched. His celebrity essays connect star narratives to wider questions about privacy and public image. His festival writing focuses on audiences and live events as cultural rituals. His interviews with film-makers and authors rely on rapport, extended stories and reflection.