The Celeb Diaries

by Mark Frith

Has Posh got thinner? What's the latest on Britney? Who's getting together and who's splitting up? Every Tuesday, two million eager readers snatch up their brand-new copy of Heat, ready to devour the latest gossip about the celebs. But there's one question everyone's desperate to know - what are the celebs really like? Who's got the craziest demands and the biggest entourage at a photo shoot? Do any of them eat normally? Who's nice, who's nasty, who's a demanding diva and who's just plain weird. One man has the answer, Mark Frith turned Heat into the biggest celebirty mag in the country. Cheeky, funny and never fawning, Heat was a new source of celeb info when it started in 2000. And Marks' been there since the beginning, from his first interview with Posh to the rise and fall of Jade and Big Brother, through to Britney's tragic descent from sexpot to being sectioned. From Kate Moss and Paris Hilton to Amy Winehouse and Cheryl Cole - in green rooms and VIP lounges, celebrities have confided in Mark and have been highly indiscreet in his presence. Now, for this first time, Mark is opening up his diaries. And no one is safe.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography

496 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2008

Reviews

[Alice Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book a few years ago. I used to be obsessed with Heat magazine and buy it every week. Let's not make any bones about it - this is a pretty trashy read! Bitchiness about celebrities, gossip and scandal.

Despite the shallowness of the book, it does give some interesting insights of what it's like to be editor of a magazine. Mark Frith tells the story of how he took "Heat" and made it from a flop into the best-selling celebrity magazine of the 2000s. There aren't a lot of celebrity "secrets" revealed like the book cover leads you to believe (although I suppose if there had been, the author would be getting sued)! Still a fun, light read that I really enjoyed!

[Mark Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't quite sure whether it was right to describe this as a 'sensational inside story' as lots of the information in this book was shoved down our throats in the magazine he edited during the time he worked there but there are lots of 'behind the scenes' information for sure. Nice and easy read, in diary form and lots of interesting titbits about the people you know and love. Well worth a read.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

ugh after a while I really didnt care.....and Im pretty obsessed with celeb!? I dont know why I didnt like this book, I mean I read the magazine and love it, prehapes this then takes away the fun of the magazine... or magic?
I dunno.....

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to check this book out on the internet to see whether the author and magazine actually existed, in case it was some sort of fictional write-up on a bunch of journalists cashing in on the recent celebrity phenomena. Mark Frith's book precedes Jateendra Sehdev's book concentrating on one 'celebrity' and dissecting it (them). Both authors work from an insiders point of view, fixating on a plethora of people who get well known to a large sector of the public, who, according to Frith, are obsessed with body image, fashion, make-up and gossip. As it was, it was a litany of people, singing groups, and reality TV shows that I had never heard of, and have no interest in. However, the books are highly enlightening on the globalised media, and on how the winners in such a maelstrom of information, images, people and that get the frontline attention - and all the lucrative financial benefits of it.

[Alexis Arian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. I tried getting into it to gain a humanized perspective of the people I consider amongst the most evil in the world, paparazzi. Not only does my opinion remain unchanged, I’ve doubled down.

[Claire Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little walk down memory lane .

[Darla Ebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat revelatory, mainly the plot surrounds the idea of a gossip magazine, Heat and the actions and reactions of those who are "revealed" within its pages.

[Timothy Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. I read it in about a day & a half. I've read it more than once. I just re-read it & forgot how good it is. It's very interesting to read his side of the story. I live in America so I have to read it digitally and before that I just wasn't able to read the magazine often. But I have read so much online & I knew all the major headlines that he talked about. I do wish he would have told just a little bit more about "The Fall Of Grace Adams Short". I remember back in 06 when all of that happened & I love it. The backlash of the Jordan sticker gate was very interesting to read. I kinda wish there had been more about Big Brother UK just because back in 2006-2008 it was such a major part of the magazines history. He did give a lot of time for it though would just liked to have read more about Chanelle Hayes, Charley Uchea, Nikki Grahame, ect. Amazing book other wise & if you have ever read Heat Magazine, I 100% recommend this book!

[Ria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading Heat back in 1999 before it's reinvention as a celebrity-obsessed glossy. Back then it was an entertainment magazine focused on all the things I loved best: movies, music, cult TV and books. And then it became something very different that I stuck with for a while but I always missed it's original iteration. So this book proved rather grimly fascinating to read and for the first time in a LONG time, I devoured a book in a day.

The book concludes in 2008 with Mark Frith resigning as Editor due to him no longer enjoying the media circus surrounding celebrity - I'd be curious to know his thoughts on the last six years as well, though I suspect he won't have seen much improvement. The final chapters are quite bleak in the stories he highlights, to the point that I'm feeling a bit bummed out now. But I finished a book so yay? Hmm. On to the next.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this book for $1 in Australia to read on the bus (I guess it was so cheap because a lot of the celebrities talked about in It are not known there) and actually it was okay. It was interesting to read about the way these people behave, and also about some of the mistakes made by Heat Magazine that seem to be dealt with in a very honest way. I don't read Heat and this won't encourage me to start, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by the former editor of Heat magazine - a celebrity magazine in the UK. Some of it was interesting, you could track the changes in celebrities, and how the coverage changed over the 10 year span. But a lot of it seemed to be justifying why he could invade their lives and use damaging photos etc. Need a bit of a shower after reading it.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the book that got me into the world of journilism. it is also the book I have re-read the most times. It is the most amazing book I have ever read. It is just my style. It portrais the life of the editer of heat magizine. Lots of celebrities featured and even through this is not as gossip filled as the insider, It is close.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far very interesting, especially since the height of Heat mag was when I was actually living in London, reading it often on my way to work. I remember all the different stories so its a great reminder of my travels abroad and the trash that is the celeb culture of the UK. Love it

[André · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was inspired by "the insiders" and is written in the same style but it's a MUCH easier and faster read. life at heat magazine was nowhere as dynamic and fast-paced as in the tabloid world

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought this would be much more entertaining than it was

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

who wouldn't love a book from the man that brought us Torsos of the Week and dedicated the book to Victoria Beckham.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but pales in comparison against Piers Morgan's bravado in his own celeb-filled memoir Insider.

[Jodi Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read, not as revealing as I would like but then books like these never are

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, because I love celebrities!