Deepfakes, chatbots and the new threats to a billionaire’s name
Spears
Despite the fragmentation of the media landscape, traditional outlets still matter. Just over half of respondents (52 per cent) believe regular engagement with the press remains among the most effective ways to build a positive reputation. This finding reflects the continued influence of established journalism on public perception and, increasingly, on AI systems. ‘LLMs draw heavily on established media sources,’ says Mark Borkowski, founder of the eponymous PR consultancy. ‘High-quality coverage strengthens a digital footprint, even as trust in traditional media declines.’
https://spearswms.com/wealth/deepfakes-chatbots-new-threats-billionaire-name/
Meghan Markle’s As Ever business under new threat
Wonderwall
How can Meghan make the brand better?
Public relations expert Mark Borkowski believes the entrepreneur needs to streamline the company and its values.
“When a brand arrives and says, ‘We are many things, all of them meaningful,’ the audience hears: ‘Work it out yourself.’ And they [Meghan and Harry] don’t,” the specialist told the publication.
What Jeremy Clarkson is reportedly paid by Amazon Prime for Clarkson’s Farm ahead of season five
Lad Bible
PR expert breaks down Clarkson’s success
Sure, his farm might be a money-maker nowadays, but it can be said that Clarkson is quite the money-maker himself.
And expert Mark Borkowski says that this is partly because he’s an ‘incredible content generator’.
Having been tied to the demands of the likes of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, the PR whizz reckons Clarkson ‘clearly got into farming, and you know, like most people these days, you know, he turned it into concept’.
“He became the British farmer bloke, weathered, battered,” Borkowski explains. “I mean every everything about it is his journalistic way of looking for the stories, looking for the narratives.
“It was never the narrative about the car, it was the narrative about him and the other two presenters about countries, about backdrop, about roads, about pranks, and the backdrop’s changed, it’s contextualising something in a completely different way. It’s the principle about how he makes content and that’s why he’s so popular.”
He continues: “He’s hit the moment exactly the time post Brexit, where farming and farmers are now under scrutiny, so he’s got a ready-made polemic to start talking about it.
“But above all, he’s authentic, that’s the interesting part about him, and actually having a living, breathing farm… it’s like The Kardashians in a way, only better.”
The expert describes Clarkson as a ‘natural storyteller’ and a ‘natural content maker’.
“Even now with the heart attack, or this weekend with him going down to BGT, and to the final, the farmer’s choir, now sponsored by his lager, everything about it is integrated with his life, and I just think he’s found something better than Top Gear,” he adds.
“Top Gear made him, but I think he will be remembered, because now he has single-handedly done more to make people understand farming, the difficulties of farming, and he’s championed the farming community just at a time, the timing is perfect, when they’re under pressure from inheritance tax and whatever, and leading the charge, so it was a case of being in the right place at the right time.”
LADbible has contacted the team at Clarkson’s Farm for comment.
What Jeremy Clarkson is reportedly paid by Amazon Prime for Clarkson’s Farm ahead of season five
Kim Kardashian craves stability. Lewis Hamilton values freedom. What could go wrong?
The Telegraph
The fact that the British-American duo now has the maternal seal of approval has sent the rumour mill into overdrive – as what once seemed like a casual fling is starting to look more long-lasting. Equally, with people this famous, it’s hard not to question whether this was a family meal captured by accident or a well-timed publicity stunt.
“You always have to ask, ‘What are they trying to tell us?’” says celebrity PR guru Mark Borkowski. “Was it planned? Possibly, as it seems a little too obvious. I don’t want to be cynical but if you want to keep a story going and keep creating signals, the meeting of in-laws is something that everybody understands as an important milestone, so there is a strategic logic behind it.”
Either way, the relationship itself appears to be real. Hamilton and Kardashian have known each other for more than a decade – although the first public photograph of them together from the 2014 GQ Men of the Year Awards is not one for the mantelpiece, as it features both of their significant exes: Nicole Scherzinger and Kanye West. Clearly, they got on well though, and by 2015 Hamilton was spending Easter in Malibu with the family (Kanye West even praised his taste in music during the four-day trip).
Kim Kardashian wants stability. Lewis Hamilton wants freedom. What could go wrong?
How much actors can make from residuals revealed – after Everybody Loves Raymond fans learnt Ray Romano makes $18M a year from repeats alone
Daily Mail
Lisa Kudrow (and co-stars): $20M a year for Friends:
She might not have filmed a single scene in 22 years but Friends is still a phenomenal money-spinner for actress Lisa Kudrow.
Recently, when asked why she and her four surviving co-stars earn $20 m a year from reruns of the American series, Kudrow, 62, credited her dippy onscreen alter ego, quipping: ‘Because Phoebe Buffay was so great?’
But nerves of steel and a crack team of agents and lawyers were arguably more important in securing the sort of syndication rights that mean Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer never have to work again.
After all, says celebrity public relations consultant Mark Borkowski: ‘It is show [i]business[i] – and there’s nothing more brutal than getting a deal.’
However, he stresses, ‘it really is the lucky few who get millions’.
Why unstoppable Maya Jama’s ‘substantial’ television strategies have Love Island employers scared
NY Morning Star
In 2015, the environmentally friendly brand name– which developed milk from yellow split peas– revealed 38% development, and it’s most likely to discover more success, thanks to a brand-new offer with Joe & & The Juice, which released last month.
What’s more, in a cooperation fronted by Maya in a striking blonde wig, she released Maya’s Iced Matcha, consisting of black sesame paste, collagen and Sproud milk.
” Maya has a fantastic group around her and has actually connected herself to some terrific tasks,” states PR expert Mark Borkowski. “She appears to be making all the right choices and is taking one action at a time.”
‘He’s a natural’: Andy Burnham’s allies give his social media style a thumbs-up
The Guardian
Subtle it isn’t, but it does bear the hallmarks of a competent communicator, said the PR consultant Mark Borkowski. “He’s a natural,” said the media analyst. “He comes across as fearless and he looks comfortable in his own skin.”
Which is a marked contrast to the man whose job he wants to nab, he added. “[Keir] Starmer has struggled to project that same authenticity, and in the modern age you have to be a brilliant communicator as well as being good at your job.”
World’s most valuable football match descends into £300m shambles due to Spygate
The Mirror
It’s known as the ‘most valuable football match in the world’ as it’s worth £300m to the victors who win promotion to the lucrative Premier League with increased TV rights, hospitality and advertising. It shows how important promotion is – even losing every game and finishing bottom secures any club £109m.
Public relations consultant Mark Borkowski said: “This will have ramifications for years to come. It will have a huge impact on Southampton Football Club.
“I feel so sorry for the Southampton fans. Southampton haven’t handled this well. Those goal celebrations with the binoculars … it’s like the whole club knew. There’s a sense of shock and a real level of stupidity. They can recover from this but they need to regain the trust of their fans.”
Author and financial expert Kieran Maguire said that not going up will be a huge financial blow. Last night Southampton made a last ditch appeal to try and change the decision which will see Hull play Middlesbrough on Saturday.
World’s most valuable football match descends into £300m shambles due to Spygate – The Mirror
Three Strictly presenters? Here’s what could go wrong
The Telegraph
PR expert Mark Borkowski isn’t bowled over by those particular choices. “It’s casting by ChatGPT,” he asserts. So, how would these new faces blend into the ballroom competition? A Strictly triple act might be a genius solution. Or, in the words of Craig Revel Horwood, it could be a dance disahhhster.
Three Strictly Come Dancing hosts? Here’s what could go wrong
‘Married at First Sight’ allegations shock UK TV industry
Financial Times
MAFS UK became the most watched British commercial on-demand streaming title in 2024, according to Channel 4. It has been particularly important for the E4 streaming service in attracting younger audiences, increasingly turning to platforms such as Netflix, and generating massive engagement on social media. It has even spawned an official podcast in the UK.
Mark Borkowski, a veteran British entertainment PR consultant, said: “For years, reality TV has sold itself as a democratic route to fame. But underneath it sits something much older and uglier: the atavistic Colosseum impulse.”
He predicted the crisis would not “kill reality TV” but it “will mean reality TV’s next phase will have to be less venal”.
Women’s football is discovering the perils of a harsh spotlight
The Observer
The decision to launch an Instagram page with her boyfriend of under a month at the same time as Chelsea were losing 3-2 to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, with Bright watching on, also felt like another faux pas.
“Part of the reason things are going wrong is you haven’t got the sort of talent around these people to develop careers,” says public relations consultant Mark Borkowski.
“It’s a dance. You don’t want to be forgotten. It’s a short career. What you do beyond that is given by the audience you drum up, and the tools to drum up that audience must never be too desperate. It’s a dangerous tightrope.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Burning Through Fortune — $3M Security, $38M Legal Bills and ‘Only 5 Years Left’ Before Lifestyle Crash
Radar Online
PR guru Mark Borkowski pointed out that the duo hitching their brand to rehashing old royal resentments is a tired narrative that no longer brings in the big bucks.
“There’s only so much money you can make out of grievance, and they have exhausted the assets that they have. The diminishing returns became the narrative,” he explained. “Show business in America now is based on what is the commercial return on investment. One failure and out.”
Prince Harry & Meghan Burning Through Fortune With Lifestyle Crash Ahead
Football Focus is a victim of BBC virtue-signalling’: Experts blame show’s demise on ‘lightweight presenters’ hired to fit BBC’s ‘world view’ amid exodus of white male, middle-aged stars
Daily Mail
It has been alleged that Ms Scott has felt bruised by BBC inquests into its declining performance, which has seen viewing figures almost halve while she has been at the helm.
Mark Borkowski, one of the UK’s leading PR gurus and brand experts, told the Daily Mail today: ‘The virtue signalling at Football Focus has caught up with the BBC’.
He said the plunging viewing figures ‘shows the BBC were trying to do something for the audience that they didn’t want’.
‘It was so lightweight and presented by people who didn’t have any personality but fitted the BBC’s world view’, he said.
‘These shows are being shaped by an agenda when all people want is to be entertained. There is this blandness and mediocrity that pervades iconic programmes like Football Focus’.
Celebrated former Football Focus host Bob Wilson today insisted Alex Scott had done ‘be a really good job’ as presenter.
Anna Wintour’s Vogue cover is more than a cameo – it’s a power play
The Guardian
Mark Borkowski, a press consultant and author, describes Wintour’s appearance on the cover as “a hell of a smart move”. “This is very much about Wintour not letting go of her power,” he says. “A lot of people in these types of jobs recognise they are sitting in a chair that has power. Wintour doesn’t believe that. She believes she is the power. She’s not a personality that’s going to fade away into the background.”
Even the ideation of the cover hints at the authority Wintour still wields. Writing in her editor’s letter, Malle outlines how it came about. She was in the backseat of Wintour’s personal town car (a nice power play by Wintour, and reminiscent of the first film) running ideas for the next batch of covers past her (a tacit hint that all the big decisions still need to be approved by Wintour) when Malle first suggested the idea. Wintour initially shot it down, saying: “That’s very flattering, Chloe, but it’s not really my style.” It then, so the story goes, fell to Streep to persuade her. Wintour called the Hollywood star directly (another not-so-subtle power move).
Wintour was dismissive of the first film when it came out in 2006. Although she did attend the premiere – wearing Prada, no less – she was cagey about her reaction. In 2024, at the opening of the musical version in London, she told the BBC that it was “for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly”.
However, more recently she has seemed happier to engage, suggesting that Priestly is very much “a caricature” and a highly enjoyable and very fun one at that. The various social media videos that accompany the shoot drive this idea home. Streep stays in character, while Wintour plays herself. We see her fumble her lines and get the giggles. She is warm and witty, a sharp contrast to the icy Priestly.
We first saw her toy with the idea at the Oscars in March, where she jokingly referred to Anne Hathaway as “Emily”, a nod to Emily Blunt’s character in the film. Meanwhile, the next read in the Vogue Book Club is the novel by Lauren Weisberger that inspired the film. Borkowski suggests these stunts hint that Wintour is beginning to separate herself from brand Vogue. “Her life has been defined by Vogue,” he says. “Back in the day she was recognisable by a very distinctive haircut and a pair of dark glasses. She was a cypher. But now it’s all about the narrative of the personal brand.” She is, he says, “getting involved in the film because she sees it as something that can establish Anna Wintour, the brand”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Brand Crisis: Why They’re Struggling in Hollywood and What’s Next (Exclusive)
US Weekly
PR expert Mark Borkowski says the public wants clarity. “When a brand arrives and says, ‘We are many things, all of them meaningful,’ the audience hears: ‘Work it out yourself.’ And they don’t,” he adds. Brand and PR expert Natalie Trice believes that while “there’s still strong public interest in what Meghan does,” her constantly changing stance is problematic. “Is [her thing] jam? Is it fashion? Is it charity work? Yes, you can do it all — but that true passion needs to be clear.” The second source, however, contends that they have various types of projects that speak to their interests.
The first source says their projects to date “have [too] narrow [of an] appeal.” In addition to With Love, Meghan, Netflix also aired Polo, Harry’s 2024 docuseries about his friend Nacho Figueras, and 2023’s Heart of Invictus, a docuseries centered around the Invictus Games, his global sporting event for wounded service members. Their next TV series is set to be about polo, and they just recently sold Cookie Queens — a documentary about Girl Scouts — which they executive-produced.
‘You’re barred..!’
The Eye. Wales
The announcement was made after it emerged that the shocking reported comeback by Edwards, had been slammed.
Public Relations (PR) expert Mark Borkowski warned that Edwards’ photographic display of himself in this supposed return risked appearing insensitive and deliberately provocative, proclaiming: “A picture like this tells you he wants to be seen again. But one stylish photograph can’t rewrite the past. It risks looking tone-deaf, even provocative”.
FADING STARS Meghan Markle & Harry’s ‘star power wasn’t as successful as they hoped’, says pro amid claims they lead separate lives
The Sun
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry seem to be focusing on solo work projects and increasing living separate lives, according to royal experts.
And a PR expert has claimed that the reason for the Sussexes focusing on individual projects is that their “star power wasn’t as successful as they hoped.”
PR guru Mark Borkowski told Best magazine: “There has been a separation [of their work] for a while.
“Harry is ‘going back to basics’ with a formula that worked well for him as a Royal Family member, but there’s also the realisation that the couple’s ‘star power’ wasn’t as successful as they hoped.
“They had to change the narrative.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/royals/31087601/meghan-markle-prince-harry-separate-lives-star-power/
Kanye West is trying to uncancel himself
The Observer
Talking to Vanity Fair in February, Censori, 31, said she didn’t marry him for a platform: “I married him because I love him.” Censori is famed for wearing highly exposing outfits, which – with her perma-frozen countenance – reads as submissive and sex-doll-like.
At the 2025 Grammy awards, while West was fully dressed, she wore a skimpy transparent dress with no underwear. “He was covered head to toe in black and there was this woman virtually not wearing a fig leaf,” says Mark Borkowski, whose PR agency specialises in crisis communications and reputation management. “I thought it was incredibly exploitative.”
https://observer.co.uk/news/profile/article/profile-kanye-west-outspoken-rapper
What happened to Prince Harry’s American dream? He’s living ‘his version’ of it but ‘fighting irrelevance’
Hello Mag
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess inked deals with Netflix and Spotify, though they parted ways with the latter in 2023. Despite what the Sussexes have produced in the years since and what they have in the pipeline, crisis and reputation consultant Mark Borkowski believes Harry’s “legacy is largely already secured”.
“Invictus is the substance. Everything else – Hollywood deals, media ventures, streaming content – all a sideshow,” Mark tells HELLO!. “Well-paid, occasionally compelling, but ultimately secondary. The risk isn’t collapse. It’s dilution.”
Is Prince Harry’s American dream over? He’s ‘fighting irrelevance’, says crisis expert | HELLO!
Prince Harry warned over huge ‘risk’ as life in the US in doubt
Express
Now, a PR expert has claimed Harry’s “legacy is largely already secured” but warned him about one “risk” he needs to be cautious about.
Crisis and reputation consultant Mark Borkowski told Hello! magazine: “Invictus is the substance. Everything else – Hollywood deals, media ventures, streaming content – all a sideshow.
“Well-paid, occasionally compelling, but ultimately secondary. The risk isn’t collapse. It’s dilution.”
Mr Borkowski added that the Duke is now navigating a “post-hype phase” following the release of his memoir, Spare, in 2023.
He explained: “Sentiment has faded and everyone still judges. [Harry is] no longer the Spare phenomenon. He has lost purpose.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/2190346/prince-harry-risk-warning/amp