Matt Chorley

Last updated

Matt Chorley
NationalityBritish
Education Richard Huish College
Occupation(s) Journalist, broadcaster
Known forRed Box newsletter and podcast for The Times , and mid-morning political show on Times Radio
SpouseAlyson
Children2
Website https://mattchorley.com/

Matt Chorley is a British journalist, broadcaster and comedian who hosted a live morning politics show, described by him as "politics without the boring bits", on Times Radio. [1] After beginning his career at the Taunton Times , he was a political correspondent for the Western Morning News , the Press Association, [2] [3] and the Independent on Sunday before becoming the political editor of MailOnline .[ citation needed ] He joined The Times in 2016. [4] He has won awards for his political podcast and for his book. [5] [6] [7] He is also an occasional guest on Have I Got News for You . [8]

Contents

In May 2024, it was announced that Chorley would be leaving Times Radio in July in order to take up a new position hosting a daily politics show on BBC Radio 5 Live, which began on 2 September 2024. [9]

Early and personal life

Chorley was born in 1982.[ citation needed ] He was brought up near Taunton on the Somerset Levels, and attended Richard Huish College; he did not study at a university. [10] He is married to Alyson, whom he met while working for the Taunton Times. The couple have two daughters. The family's pet is a former guide dog. [11]

Career

Journalism

Chorley started his journalistic career reporting at the now-defunct Taunton Times , and then the Western Morning News . [2] [12] He moved to London in 2005 to work in the House of Commons press gallery for the Press Association , [3]

Chorley joined The Times in 2016, [4] where he edited the Red Box political email newsletter. He then also started presenting a podcast of the same name, also hosted by The Times, which was subsequently renamed Politics Without The Boring Bits in 2023. [13] In October 2023, The Times launched a weekly podcast called How To Win An Election , presented by Chorley and featuring the former political strategists Peter Mandelson, Danny Finkelstein, and Polly Mackenzie as recurring guests. [14]

In June 2020, Chorley stepped back from writing the newsletter, to present the mid-morning slot at the newly-launched Times Radio from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Thursday. [15] [16] In May 2021, he was also given the Friday shift, taking the show to five days a week. [17] In May 2024, Chorley announced his departure from Times Radio, and BBC Radio 5 Live issued a press release stating he will host a weekday afternoons radio show commencing in September 2024. [18] His new politics show launched on 2 September. [19]

Comedy

In parallel to his early journalistic career in Somerset, Chorley formed part of a comedy trio called Big Day Out, alongside friends Lewis Georgeson and William Kenning. [3] When Chorley left Somerset for London in 2005, his decision was influenced by wanting to spend more time focusing on the comedy sketch group, which had already enjoyed sold-out shows in the capital. In 2007, Big Day Out took their comedy show to the Edinburgh Festival. [3]

In 2019, Chorley toured his one-man political comedy show, This is Not Normal, around the UK. [2] [20] In 2022, Chorley toured another show called Who is In Charge Here? [21] In 2024, Chorley toured his third one-man show called Poll Dancer. [12] [22]

Book

In 2023, Chorley published a book titled, Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors: 50 Places That Changed British Politics. [23] The book focuses on unique places outside the traditional corridors of power in Whitehall, that reportedly changed the course of British politics.

Accolades

At the 2020 Society of Editors' The Press Awards, Red Box won the award for 'best news podcast'. [5] At the 2020 London Press Club, Chorley won 'digital journalist of the year' for his Red Box newsletter and podcast for The Times. [6] [24] In February 2021 Chorley was nominated for ‘radio broadcaster of the year’ at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. [25] In September 2022, he was shortlisted in the category 'broadcaster of the year' at The London Press Club Awards. [26] In March 2023, Chorley was nominated in the 'best speech presenter' category at the Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS). [27] In 2024, the radio show was nominated for 'radio programme of the year' at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. [28]

Chorley's book, Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors: 50 Places That Changed British Politics, [23] won the award for the best 'political book by a non-parliamentarian' at the 2023 Parliamentary Book Awards, organised by the Publishers Association and the Booksellers Association. [7]

Feuds

Chorley has had a particularly fractious relationship with Andrew Bridgen, the MP for North West Leicestershire, since 2018. [29] In November of that year, Chorley revealed that Bridgen's Conservative colleagues had described him as "spud-u-hate" and “thick as mash”. [30] It is reportedly as a result of this piece that Bridgen refused to vote in support of Theresa May's 2018 Brexit deal at the height of the Brexit negotiations. [31] Chorley has since regularly denounced Bridgen's struggles with the law and with parliamentary standards in his columns, [32] [33] and has described the MP among other things as a “deluded attention-seeker” [29] and “the Conservative MP for North West Bullshitshire”. [29] [34]

Chorley has also extensively spoken of his dislike of cats, and has even campaigned for Larry the Cat to be evicted from Downing Street. [35]

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References

  1. ↑ "Matt Chorley". The Times. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Hill, Phil (27 April 2020). "Matt Chorley to host politics show on Times Radio | Somerset County Gazette". Somerset County Gazette . Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Reporter-turned-comedian gets ready for Big Day Out at Edinburgh Festival". HoldTheFrontPage.co.uk. 25 June 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Matt Chorley - The Press Awards". The Press Awards . Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  5. 1 2 Tobitt, Charlotte (3 April 2020). "Press Awards reveal winners despite cancelling ceremony over Covid-19". Press Gazette . Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  6. 1 2 "The i and The Sunday Times take the newspaper of the year awards". London Press Club . 14 October 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 Anderson, Porter (7 February 2024). "In London: Fêting the New Parliamentary Book Award Winners". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  8. ↑ Brundle, Lotte (21 May 2024). "Matt Chorley to host daytime politics show on BBC Radio 5 Live". Evening Standard . Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  9. ↑ Tobitt, Charlotte (31 May 2024). "Andrew Neil to start at Times Radio one month ahead of election". Press Gazette. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  10. ↑ Chorley, Matt (5 July 2019). "Nobody knows what they're doing". Matt Chorley. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  11. ↑ Chorley, Matt (2 January 2024). "Matt Chorley on falling for a dog at the Tory party conference". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  12. 1 2 Scancariello, Antonio (13 April 2024). "Homecoming show for Taunton comedian Matt Chorley | Somerset County Gazette". Somerset County Gazette . Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  13. ↑ "The Red Box Politics Podcast on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts . Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "The Times signs big political names for How To Win An Election podcast". Podcasting Today. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  15. ↑ Tobitt, Charlotte (2 June 2020). "Times Radio launch date and line-up from Frostrup to Pienaar". Press Gazette . Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  16. ↑ Warrington, James (27 April 2020). "Times Radio taps BBC and Channel 4 stars ahead of summer launch". City A.M. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  17. ↑ "Matt Chorley goes five days a week on Times Radio". Radio Today . 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "Matt Chorley joins BBC Radio 5 Live for an exciting new daytime politics show ahead of election". BBC . 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "BBC Radio 5 Live shakes up daytime schedule for launch of Matt Chorley's exciting new politics show". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  20. ↑ "Matt Chorley: This.is.not.normal : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle . Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  21. ↑ "Matt Chorley asks 'Who Is In Charge Here?' with his new tour". Virgin Radio UK . 24 February 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  22. ↑ Hall, Charlotte (4 March 2024). "'Silliness or satire?' Matt Chorley's new stand-up show dances a fine line | Manchester Evening News". Manchester Evening News . Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  23. 1 2 Chorley, Matt (October 2023). Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors: 50 Places That Changed British Politics (1st ed.). HarperCollins UK / William Collins. ISBN   9780008622060.
  24. ↑ "The i and Sunday Times win at London Press Club Awards – Society of Editors". Society of Editors . 14 October 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  25. ↑ "Radio, audio and podcast nominations for this year's BPG Awards revealed". Advanced Television. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  26. ↑ "London Press Club Awards 2022 – Winners and shortlists - London Press Club". London Press Club . 26 October 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  27. ↑ Collins, Steve (30 March 2023). "Nominees and new location announced for ARIAS 2023". Radio Today . Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  28. ↑ Naylor, James (7 March 2024). "Audio nominations for this year's 50th BPG Awards". Broadcasting Press Guild . Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  29. 1 2 3 Chorley, Matt (4 November 2022). "Five days of parliament without this 'spud-u-hate' MP is a treat to savour". The Times . Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  30. ↑ Chorley, Matt (17 November 2018). "The Midlands Machiavelli is an assassin who'd put his weapon on expenses". The Times . Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  31. ↑ Withers, Matt (21 November 2018). "Tory MP 'refuses to vote with government after being called thick as mash'". The New European . Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  32. ↑ Chorley, Matt (17 April 2022). "'Dishonest' MP Bridgen 'lied' about conduct in family dispute". The Times . Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  33. ↑ Chorley, Matt (3 September 2022). "MP Andrew Bridgen ordered to quit home in fight over family potato firm". The Times . Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  34. ↑ Chorley, Matt (13 January 2023). "Even for lazy Westminster, Andrew Bridgen the anti-science spud will no longer do". The Times . Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  35. ↑ Chorley, Matt (13 July 2024). "Sir Keir's most pressing task: speak truth to purr and evict Larry the Cat". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
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