Inside Keir Starmer’s future earnings as he’s predicted to go ‘a different way to Blair’
The Mirror
PR expert Mark Borkowski believes Starmer has the potential to build a multi-million-pound career after politics – even if it looks very different to those of Blair or Boris.
“Over the next decade, it’s plausible he could earn between £2 million and £10 million,” he said. Borkowski believes Starmer’s greatest commercial value lies not in celebrity-style appearances, but in the expertise he developed before and during his time in office.
“He was quite a major force on the international stage,” he said. “As an adviser, as someone working in foreign affairs, there’s certainly something there.”
While he believes lucrative opportunities will arise, Borkowski is less convinced Starmer will embrace the global speaking circuit in the same way as some of his predecessors.
“Speaking engagements can range from £50,000 internationally, but it’s difficult at this stage,” he said. “Boris is a different character. He worked through tumultuous times in terms of Brexit and Covid. Starmer doesn’t have as much to say.”
Bellingham could be bigger than Beckham: England star’s brand on track to become one of most valuable in world sport as he cashes in on multi-million-pound sponsorship deals after World Cup
Daily Mail
Mark Borkowski, one of Britain’s best-known PR gurus, said: ‘Jude Bellingham could become a greater athlete than David Beckham. Whether he becomes a bigger brand is a much higher bar.
‘Beckham’s brand was built on extraordinary forces converging at exactly the right time. No footballer had ever occupied quite that intersection of sport, fashion, music and celebrity.’
More lucrative agreements are expected to follow after his World Cup heroics, which have included six goals and a string of match-winning performances.
Industry experts believe the United States could become his most lucrative market, because Americans love his self-confidence.
Mr Borkowski believes Bellingham has demonstrated his value both on and off the pitch.
Mr Borkowski said the footballer had shown himself to be a ‘decent human being’ and the authentic role model brands are desperate to be associated with.
‘That comes from somebody being incredibly human and decent,’ he said of his behaviour.
‘There are plenty of examples of people ignoring mascots, ignoring journalists, ignoring fans. Messi has this bodyguard that surrounds him and stops them. But Bellingham is very open. And that’s what he and his team will be thinking about – it’s not just what you do on the field,’ he told The Times.
US football finance expert Roger Bennett has said Americans have embraced Bellingham – and his confidence.
He told the Financial Times: ‘His mentality is so rare for an Englishman – he actually has an American mentality.
‘He sees himself as a winner and is willing to talk about himself that way with a cocksure confidence that many English people have a difficult relationship with but Americans love.’
Who else? From ‘rude’ to Hey Jude, Bellingham wins over his critics
The Times
Mark Borkowski, a public relations consultant and expert on reputation management, said Bellingham belonged to a new generation of players, who understood that what they did off the pitch could matter as much as their play.
He said: “I think footballers now are very different from the era of Paul Gascoigne or even Wayne Rooney, where there was a whole drinking culture, you were left to your own, nobody took responsibility.
“There was a sort of moan from most footballers that we’re not role models. I think Wayne Rooney even said that — ‘how can I be judged; I’m not setting myself up to be a role model’. He expected his achievements on the pitch to be enough.”
After the interview, Gutiérrez praised the player’s empathy and said: “Jude Bellingham stopped when he heard ‘Venezuela’ and dedicated a few words to the people in the country.”
“That comes from somebody being incredibly human and decent,” said Borkowski. “There’s plenty of examples of people ignoring mascots, ignoring journalists, ignoring fans. Messi has this bodyguard that surrounds him and stops them. But Bellingham is very open. And that’s what he and his team will be thinking about — it’s not just what you do on the field.”
‘Bigger than Beckham’: Why Bellingham will be England’s next football billionaire
The I News
“Beckham was adept at merging fashion and sport, but I think Bellingham is bigger than Beckham,” says Mark Borkowski. “He is a generational talent – not just in sport, but in comms. Sometimes I have to blink and shake my head when I remember how young he is. It wasn’t that long ago that England was blighted with a different sort of personality – the Gazzas, Fowlers and Rooneys and their drinking culture. Think of that infamous moment when Robbie Fowler pretended to be snorting a line of cocaine when he scored a goal on the 18-yard line, after there had been tabloid speculation about him. Bellingham is emblematic of how much football has changed.”
While Bellingham is a natural wit in front of the camera (“have another shot and text your bosses to say you’re not coming in tomorrow,” he said in a post-match interview after England’s historic 3-2 win over Mexico, having scored two of the goals), it’s his compassion that has really endeared him to fans. After being roundly ignored by other England players after their win over DR Congo, Venezuelan journalist Manu Gutierrez, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, looked in despair about the likelihood of ever getting an interview. Then, Bellingham stopped to talk to him, leaning down to his level and speaking in fluent Spanish.
Captured on video, the clip instantly went viral. “It was a remarkable bit of footage that shows the depth of Bellingham’s understanding of what it is to take on the mantle of that talent,” notes Borkowski. “It’s how you conduct yourself off the field that increasingly matters, and he is a beacon for the way that modern sports people need to behave.”
While his club can take some credit for his behaviour, most of the credit must go to his parents, Mark and Denise, who are believed to have separated last year after 20 years of marriage. “Before being great parents, they’re great people,” he has said. “When you have people like that, you don’t have to be told how to behave, you pick that up from them.” He’s particularly close to his mum, who moved to Germany with him in 2020 when he played for Borussia Dortmund, and then to Spain, when he was sold to Real Madrid in 2023. His parents also helped shape his clean living lifestyle. Like all the most compelling players in 2026, Bellingham looks after himself, assiduously investing in his health and wellness in a way that bodes well for his longevity.
Which is why, whatever happens next, he has a long career ahead. In a recent interview with James Corden, he revealed an ambition to act: “I’d love to be James Bond,” he said. Davis believes that his most interesting deals are still to come. “Twenty years ago, athletes were chosen because they represented performance and winning. Today, brands are just as interested in character, curiosity and the person behind the sport. That’s why someone like Lewis Hamilton makes sense [as a brand ambassador] for Lululemon. Bellingham has the same opportunity to move beyond traditional sports endorsements into luxury, travel, technology or finance.”
Borkowski agrees. “Strategically, he should pursue the very high end. He’s a fashion icon, so I’d be looking at the sort of deals that tennis players and golfers do. He’s very serious minded, but with a clever tabloid underbelly. The next 18 months are going to be crucial to forge his next stage. As well as going for high-end global brands, he should think about what his charitable exploits are going to be. What is he going to get behind? Is he going to create a foundation?”
‘Bigger than Beckham’: Why Bellingham will be England’s next football billionaire
Football’s best bromance: Why Bellingham and Haaland break the mould
BBC News
Another moment that has featured prominently all week sees Haaland rush in to seemingly protect Bellingham, 23, after a rival player pushed him on the pitch.
“If you go back to the days of the 90s or 00s a lot of brands fell out with footballers because they were so badly behaved,” PR expert Mark Borkowski told the BBC.
“If you look at this generation of footballers they are a different breed and I think it is a lot to do with social media.
“Jude Bellingham conducts himself like a man twice his age, the wisdom, the level-headed nature and the self-awareness.
“Haaland comes from a pretty wholesome family as well. I think with both of them it is the European touch (playing in Europe at club level) that has made them aware of different cultures and made them who they are.
“The last World Cup was a massive success. This one has provided a feel-good factor.”
Football’s best bromance: Bellingham and Haaland break the mould – BBC News
Did Anyone Really Win? Inside the Aftermath of Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s Ugly Legal Battle (Exclusive)
US Weekly
They both face the arduous task of rehabilitating their reputations. “Neither side emerged as an overall winner,” says David Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision PR Group. “But Blake suffered the most because people viewed her as humorous, family-oriented and approachable, and the lawsuit tarnished that image.” PR expert Mark Borkowski says it’s best to let her work do the talking. “[She should be] undeniable in the work and boring everywhere else. Boring is the most underrated crisis strategy in the business.”
Baldoni’s sensitive “Man Enough” podcast host persona took a huge hit. “Recovery from a case like this depends on three factors,” says Johnson, “the absence of new controversies, continued professional achievement and time.” Adds Borkowski: “Justin’s only route back [is to] make something good and [be quiet] for two years.” Nonetheless, Baldoni has continued to receive support from fans and corners of Hollywood, with stars like James Brolin and Joe Rogan speaking out amid his legal battle.
Brooklyn Beckham ‘threatening’ David and Victoria’s brand empire with latest stunt
The Mirror
But while he is cashing in on the feud, the advert could have huge repercussions for his parents, according to a PR expert. Mark Borkowski claimed that Brooklyn’s antics will not only torch his own brand, but he is now threatening that of his family.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the PR expert said: “This will not end well for the Beckhams. Money and fame don’t buy happiness or indeed harmony. David and Victoria must forget the brand – it should be family first. This is a tragic soap opera. Wounding is not the word.”
He added that while Brooklyn may feel liberated by removing himself from the empire built by his parents, it is causing huge damage to the couple. And he went on to say: “‘What makes this so painful is that everyone appears trapped inside a story they can no longer control.”
Brooklyn Beckham ‘threatening’ David and Victoria’s brand empire with latest stunt – The Mirror
‘Brooklyn could bring down Brand Beckham’: David and Victoria’s oldest son is threatening the $1billion empire with his decision to cash in on the family rift, PR experts say
Daily Mail
British PR guru Mark Borkowski has said that the crisis is spiralling, with Brooklyn torching his own brand and the flames are now heading towards David and Victoria’s own $1billion empire.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘This will not end well for the Beckhams. Money and fame don’t buy happiness or indeed harmony.’
David and Victoria must ‘forget the brand – it should be family first. This is a tragic soap opera. Wounding is not the word,’ he said.
Mr Borkowski, one of the UK’s top PR and crisis experts, says Brooklyn is rejecting the family brand because he genuinely believes his parents have spent years controlling him.
He said: ‘Brooklyn belongs to a different era. The rejection of the family brand may itself feel like an act of liberation.’
But in doing so, he is damaging a brand his mother and father started building in the late 1990s.
He said: ‘The Beckhams have spent nearly three decades building perhaps the most successful family brand in modern British culture. Not just fame, but a mythology: the footballer, the pop star, the beautiful children, the resilience, the reinvention. It became a commercial empire but also a family narrative. The problem is that brands can be managed. Families can’t.
‘What makes this so painful is that everyone appears trapped inside a story they can no longer control.’
Meghan Markle’s attempt to soften image backfires – ‘teetering on irrelevant’
The Express
During a wide-ranging chat, host Matt Wilkinson asked his guests, public relations expert Mark Borkowski and royal commentator Kinsey Schofield, whether or not Meghan was becoming “a bit boring” as she adopts a more homely image. Mr Borkowski said: “She’s on the cusp of becoming irrelevant… She’s teetering on irrelevancy I think.”
He suggested Harry’s recent interventions on UK politics and the world stage, including his trip to Ukraine, show he is moving away from a focus Meghan wanted to “drag him” towards.
Mr Borkowski told Royal Exclusive: “You can see [in Harry] there’s a human there with purpose that is not being applied.
“That’s a thing he can’t see within himself. But [he] is someone who was groomed for greater things and he can’t do those very things and that must be eating him up.”
The PR expert claimed Harry’s lifestyle now he is no longer a senior working royal “must be prison for him”.
Meghan Markle’s attempt to soften image backfires | Royal | News | Express.co.uk
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/
Will it be fourth-time lucky for Sienna Miller’s tumultuous love life?
The Telegraph
Previous experiences may have taught Miller that lesson the hard way. She has endured more than her fair share of high-profile heartbreak and struggle as she has forged her career as an actress.
“The bottom line is it is difficult to navigate a high-profile career and a personal life,” Mark Borkowski, a PR industry veteran, says. “Because the more famous you become, obviously, the bigger your profile and the more clickbait you create. And I think we see it particularly with women who strike success when they’re young… [that] fame has a certain toxicity to it.”
Will it be fourth-time lucky for Sienna Miller with Oli Green?
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”.