Tabloid Secrets: The Stories Behind the Headlines at the World's Most Famous Newspaper

by Neville Thurlbeck

In nearly twenty years at the top of the News of the World, Neville Thurlbeck - chief reporter, news editor and scoop-hunter extraordinaire - served up some of the most famous, memorable and astonishing headlines in the paper's existence. They lit up the world of tabloid journalism and featured names such as David Beckham, Fred and Rose West, Jeffrey Archer and Robin Cook, among many others. Along the way, Thurlbeck was drawn into encounters with Cabinet ministers, rent boys, sports stars, serial killers, drug lords and, on one occasion, a devil-worshipping police officer. He worked with MI5 and the National Criminal Intelligence Service, foiled a murder and gave Gordon Brown a tongue-lashing to remember, all in the name of journalism. Now, in Tabloid Secrets, he reveals for the first time the truth about how he broke the stories that thrilled, excited and shocked the nation, and secured the paper up to fifteen million readers every week. The result is a fascinating, scandalous, swashbuckling insight into some of the biggest and most sensational scoops by Fleet Street's most notorious reporter.

Genres: Journalism

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2015

About the author

Neville Thurlbeck (born 7 October 1961) is a British journalist who worked for the tabloid newspaper News of the World for 21 years. He reached the position of news editor before returning to the position of chief reporter. Thurlbeck was arrested in April 2011 as part of Operation Weeting. Before the News of the World, Thurlbeck worked as a reporter for the Today newspaper, as deputy news editor of the Western Mail and as chief reporter for the Harrow Observer.

Since leaving journalism in 2011, Thurlbeck has worked in the corporate communications sector. Since 2016, he has been the Director of Communications for the International Fur Federation, with responsibility for global communications in a sector worth $30 billion per year.

He also runs his own PR company Clear Vista Media.

Thurlbeck was educated at Bede Comprehensive School in Sunderland, followed by the University of Lancaster. Thurlbeck spent a few months living in Sudan teaching English in 1984.