Mark Ellen

Mark Ellen is a writer, broadcaster and author whose teenage years were spent in rain-lashed fields sitting at the feet of long-forgotten rock bands. He started out at Record Mirror, New Musical Express and Time Out in the late '70s and went on to edit various music titles, Smash Hits, Select, Q and The Word among them (and was part of the launch team for the last two and of MOJO where he was the managing editor).

As EMAP Metro's Editor-In-Chief, Mark was in charge of their music, film, entertainment and teenage titles. He presented and contributed to various Radio 1, 2 and 4 shows (and "sat in" – hey! - for John Peel, Annie Nightingale and Kid Jensen), and was one of the anchors for BBC 2's Old Grey Whistle Test and Live Aid. He later wrote for all sorts - The Times, Guardian, Elle, Marie Claire, New Statesman and Private Eye among them – and wrote a memoir in 2014, Rock Stars Stole My Life!.

Mark still writes for – and advises - magazines and co-hosts the Word in Your Ear podcast with David Hepworth.