Rachel McGrath
Rachel McGrath is an entertainment journalist and critic at The Independent whose work centres on how television and reality formats shape contemporary popular culture. She covers primetime competition shows, long-running reality franchises and soap operas, moving between cast news, live coverage and tightly observed episode reviews. Her pieces focus on performance, tone and format, giving close attention to how shows evolve and how contestants connect with audiences.
Television and reality entertainment
Within The Independent’s TV and radio coverage, McGrath writes extensively about major British entertainment formats, particularly Strictly Come Dancing and related programming. She has authored a feature-length interview with presenter Will Best, one of 15 celebrities competing on Strictly, delving into his packed schedule, his nerves about messaging in the show’s WhatsApp group and his expectation that he will end up crying on national television.
That feature reflects a style that blends access-driven interviews with an emphasis on the emotional and practical demands of broadcast work. Alongside features, she co-authors live coverage of Strictly’s 2026 launch, tracking the debut episode in real time and assessing the promise of the new series.
Taken together, her recent work positions her squarely in television entertainment, with a particular focus on big ensemble formats and the personalities who carry them.
Strictly Come Dancing performance and live coverage
Strictly Come Dancing is a recurring focus for McGrath, and her coverage spans preview features, launch-night live blogs and week-by-week performance appraisal. In the 2026 series opener, she contributes a detailed account of the first live show, weighing the strength of the line-up and the tone of the production while signalling how the competition may unfold in the weeks ahead.
Earlier coverage referenced in The Independent’s reporting shows her appraising the performances of contestant JB Gill, noting his energy in the ballroom and the sense that he looks as though he is enjoying the dancefloor more than many of his rivals. Her Strictly pieces pay attention to contestants’ trajectories, the balance between entertainment and technical merit, and the emotional beats that sustain audience interest over a long run.
The interview with Will Best extends this perspective beyond the dancefloor, connecting a participant’s Strictly journey with his broader work and public persona.
Love Island and evolving reality formats
McGrath also writes critically about Love Island, treating it as a test case for how long-running reality formats try to stay relevant. In a review of the opening night of series 11, she questions whether changes to the show are sufficient to maintain its freshness and cultural impact, explicitly raising concerns about whether the adjustments can keep pace with shifting audience expectations. That review describes her as a critic and frames the piece as an assessment of the franchise’s creative choices rather than simple episode recap. Her Love Island coverage underlines a broader interest in format fatigue, innovation and the ways producers attempt to refresh familiar reality templates.
Across Strictly and Love Island, she consistently connects individual episodes to the longer-term health and identity of the shows.
Soap opera news and tributes
Beyond reality formats, McGrath covers soap opera news, including tributes following the sudden death of a veteran EastEnders actor. In that piece, she reports on the circumstances of the death and compiles responses from colleagues and fans, highlighting the performer’s long-standing contribution to the show. The article combines straightforward news reporting with a sense of the programme’s history, showing that her entertainment beat includes cast changes and obituaries as well as live competition coverage. This strand of her work connects the day-to-day news of television production with the longer narratives of the shows and the people who anchor them.
4 more entertainment journalists.
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.