Guide Note:
Phil Hall is a former editor of several popular British tabloid-style newspapers and magazines, including News of the World and Hello!. In 2007, Hall announced that he and other tabloid editors and the paparazzi that worked for them bore some responsibility for Princess Diana's death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
Fast Facts
- Born: ca 1955
- Occupation: Current head, Phil Hall Associates; former newspaper/magazine editor
- Spouse: Marina
- Editor of News of the World Sunday newspaper from 1995-2000
- Princess Diana died on August 31, 1997 in Paris, France
Brief Background
Phil Hall worked his way up through the British journalistic ranks to become an admired—and loathed—editor of some of the nation's rawest tabloids. He never attended university, choosing instead to immerse himself in the world of journalism, and by 1985 he had become one of the top reporters and eventually news editor of The People. In the 1990s, Hall began working for News of the World, becoming editor from 1995 to 2000. In those five years, News of the World was the best-selling newspaper in Britain. In 2000, Hall left the tabloid, which had an active relationship with paparazzi who followed Princess Diana and other celebrities wherever they went, and joined the glossy magazine Hello! as editor-in-chief. In 2005, Hall left the journalism business to work with celebrities in crafting their public image through the public relations firm Phil Hall Associates.
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