Simon Boyle

Simon’s contacts across showbiz are unrivalled in their diversity as demonstrated this year by a series of exclusive scoops which have seen him reveal astonishing stories from across the worlds of music, television and film which are widely followed by rivals. His scoops this year have included a string of celebrity divorces, confirming the axing of BBC show Top Gear, interviews with the biggest names in entertainment and a host of television stories including soap stars back from the dead, the details of Paul O’Grady’s death and the return of Girls Aloud after 11 years of feuds. Arguably Britain’s biggest rock star of the last 30 years, Oasis legend Noel Gallagher’s divorce after 22 years with his wife Sara McDonald stunned the British music business – and was widely followed up by rival publications. After Simon was told of the separation by his network of senior sources, he was able to use his direct relationship with Noel cultivated over many years to persuade the star to confirm the separation in a statement exclusively with The Sun, generating a front page exclusive for the following day’s newspaper which caught the industry flat-footed. Simon subsequently followed the story with a series of further exclusives detailing the increasingly acrimonious legal battle before confirming the terms of their settlement later the same year. Britain’s most successful music newcomer of the last few years, Lewis Capaldi, then agreed to reveal his devastating battle with Tourette’s Syndrome to Simon – after he spent years developing a relationship with the up and coming star which has seen him meet him at his home, travel with him across Europe on tour and earn the trust and confidence of his team. In September, Lewis told Simon exclusively about his growing battle with the debilitating condition, before agreeing for him to join him at his home in Glasgow to discuss the growing impact on his career and ability to perform. The pair sat together at Lewis’ favourite table in his local pub, where the singer revealed he was considering quitting the industry as a result of the battle – something would manifest itself months later after a heartbreaking performance at Glastonbury Festival which saw Lewis break down on stage unable to perform as his twitching and ticks overwhelmed him. Simon’s story about an explosive love triangle between stars of three of Britain’s biggest TV shows, Broadchurch, Downton Abbey and Emmerdale, provided a totally unexpected front page exclusive and a series of intriguing follow-ups which were widely picked up by the entire newspaper industry. His original story about Broadchurch actor Andrew Buchan walking out on his soap actress wife Amy Nuttall for his new co-star was ripped off by almost every other paper, while follow up stories including Amy’s “7 rules to save our marriage” splash prompted features in tabloids, broadsheets and beyond. Put simply, Simon’s unrivalled and authoritative showbiz stories set him apart from the pack and place him in an elite group at the very top of his game.