Stuart Higgins (born c.1956)[1] is a British public relations consultant and former newspaper editor.
In 1972 Higgins left school in Kingswood, on the outskirts of Bristol, and began his career as a reporter at the South West News, an agency founded by Roland Arblaster.[1][2] He began working for The Sun in 1979 as their West Country reporter.[3] He was arrested in 1982 by the police after being found with a Sun photographer "testing security" at Highgrove House, home of Charles, Prince of Wales.[1]
At one point, Kelvin MacKenzie printed Higgins' direct phone number in The Sun, billed him as the "human sponge" and asked readers to call Higgins to "get things off their chest".[4][1] In 1994, Higgins succeeded MacKenzie as editor of the newspaper.[5] In 1996, Higgins wrote a front-page story about an intimate video purporting to feature Diana, Princess of Wales with James Hewitt. The video turned out to be a hoax.[1]
Higgins left The Sun in June 1998.[3] On 11 November 2003, Labour MP Clive Soley, using parliamentary privilege, alleged that News International had paid £500,000 'hush money' to a female employee who had accused Higgins of sexual harassment during his time at The Sun.[6] Soley also accused Rebekah Wade (now Brooks), then the newspaper's editor, of writing a threatening letter to the MP in order to discourage him from researching the issue.[7][5]
Higgins subsequently set up his own public relations company,[5] but sold the company in 2007.[8] In February 2013, it was reported that Higgins was in Pretoria, South Africa assisting athlete Oscar Pistorius, accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, in dealing with the press.[4]
^ abcdeAndy Beckett "Soaking up the Sun", The Independent on Sunday, 13 October 1996
^In his Leveson submission, see below, Higgins says he joined Arblasters of Bristol "around 1976",
^ ab"Leveson Inquiry: Response from Stuart Higgins" (PDF). Leveson submission. January 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-01-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ abMedia Monkey "Oscar Pistorius: can the 'Human Sponge' help handle the crisis?" guardian.co.uk, 15 February 2013
^ abcDavid Hencke The case of the Sun editor, sexual harassment and a £500,000 payoff", The Guardian, 12 November 2003
^Hansard, Col.188, 11 November 2003
^Tom Leonard and Andrew Sparrow "MP accuses Sun of covering up office sex case", telegraph.co.uk, 12 November 2003
^Chris Tryhorn "Higgins' PR firm bought by Fast Track", guardian.co.uk, 11 December 2007
StuartHiggins (born c.1956) is a British public relations consultant and former newspaper editor. In 1972 Higgins left school in Kingswood, on the outskirts...
Captain Higgins, May 2015 "Fat Albert" piloted by Higgins at U.S. Naval Academy, 2015 Captain Higgins speaking to media, April 2015 Higgins meeting fans...
claimed to show Higgins and his manager arranging to lose specific frames in future matches for money. An investigation cleared Higgins of match-fixing...
1985: David Montgomery 1987: Wendy Henry 1988: Patsy Chapman 1993: StuartHiggins 1994: Piers Morgan 1995: Phil Hall 2000: Rebekah Wade 2003: Andy Coulson...
21 March 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2023. "Danny Cipriani Profile". StuartHiggins Communications. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved...
videogame with Higgins's likeness was released in 1986, titled Alex Higgins' World Snooker. In 1981, Souvenir Press published "Hurricane" Higgins' Snooker Scrapbook...
and later completing a 13–11 victory. John Higgins met Mark Allen in a second round tie, where Higgins was required to win to remain in the top 16 in...
Stuart Erwin (February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Erwin was born in Squaw Valley, Fresno County...
1982, Terrence Higgins Trust was the first charity in the UK to be set up in response to HIV and AIDS. It was initially named Terry Higgins Trust, after...
Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz; November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor, and...
Williams to reach the final where he faced John Higgins. Trump surged into a 5–0 lead and, despite Higgins making a 147 break in the next frame, claimed...
Media offices Preceded by StuartHiggins Deputy Editor of The Sun 1993–1998 Succeeded by Rebekah Wade Preceded by Brendon Parsons Editor of The People...
Hugh Higgins of Tyrawley was a blind Irish harper, 1737-after 1791. Higgins was a descendant of the Ó hUiginn family of poets, scribes, and historians...
original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2011. Ramsay, Stuart; Higgins, Kat (2 February 2011). "Egypt Crisis: Violence Breaks Out Between...
Getting Better Acquainted - Dave Pickering Scientists not the Science - StuartHiggins Shoot First Talk Later: The Photoshoot Podcast - Robert Gershinson What...
Margaret Higgins Sanger (born Margaret Louise Higgins; September 14, 1879 – September 6, 1966), also known as Margaret Sanger Slee, was an American birth...
exchanging a foul-mouthed argument with David Higgins at the final press conference in London. It started off with Higgins approaching Fury, unhappy with the appointment...
International Break". Geek Girl Authority. Retrieved October 22, 2023. Higgins, Stuart (March 15, 2023). "Why the football in Ted Lasso looks better than...
Global Information