Journalist and podcaster
Throughout my time working for EssexLive we were all well aware of the planning that was going into launching one of Reach PLC's brand new websites - HertsLive. At the end of February 2020 I was delighted to be appointed as Digital Content Lead for the new website. It's a position I never expected to … Continue reading Launching the new HertsLive website during the covid crisis
Grace Harrison is best known for being the first female gymnast from the Isle of Man to qualify for an individual Commonwealth Games final. She achieved that feat at the Glasgow 2014 games at the age of 19. However, instead of appearing at the Gold Coast 2018 games as she had hoped, she ended up … Continue reading Grace Harrison: Retirement struggles and how sepsis changed her outlook
Sunday, October 6, 2019 turned out to be one of the most eventful days in the Essex Live newsroom. It was my third weekend leading as content editor with the team consisting of just myself and one reporter. I had heard something big was happening in Colchester, a quick search through social media also found … Continue reading Leading the coverage for a triple murder investigation in Colchester
Through SportSpiel’s relationship with The Mintridge Foundation we were able to organise an interview with former British swimmer Lizzie Simmonds. The now-retired 28-year-old enjoyed plenty of success – including appearing at two Olympics and winning two European titles – but I wanted this interview to be something else. Rather than looking back at her career … Continue reading Lizzie Simmonds’ identity crisis and self-worth
Scottish 200m sprinter Beth Dobbin missed the 2018 Commonwealth Games by one hundredth of a second. But after that disappointment she burst back onto the scene in June when she broke the 34-year-old Scottish 200m record. Just two weeks after breaking that record she appeared as an interview guest on SportSpiel and it became one … Continue reading Beth Dobbin’s rise and her epilepsy battle
There are few athletes who show you their true colours in the way Elise Christie does. The speed skater’s talent is unquestionable, becoming World Champion in 2017, but it was the trials she faced at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics that captivated the nation. She is an athlete that everyone would love to interview … Continue reading The Elise Christie story
The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France has received an unparalleled level of attention and coverage. As a podcast, SportSpiel has always championed women’s sport and we knew – despite how hard it would be – that we had to contribute what we could and be a part of it. With an immense amount … Continue reading The SportSpiel FIFA Women’s World Cup specials
British 400m runner Amy Allcock has been a relative latecomer on the athletics seen but managed to step up a gear in 2018. A personal best of 51.36 at the Anniversary Games in July 2018 suddenly made people pay attention. But – other than a post-race interview on YouTube – there wasn’t much to be … Continue reading Amy Allcock’s battles to break through
This feature and accompanying podcast easily became one of my finest pieces of work. It was highly commended in the NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2018, in the Multimedia Story of the Year Category, and Hold the Front Page asked me to write a guest blog on why I decided to do it. The online feature … Continue reading Spending 24 hours living homeless with two rough sleepers
Gang violence and knife crime is one of the dominant themes on the news agenda and in Essex it’s no different. The county neighbours London and like many areas of the country faces issues with drugs and county lines gangs. At Essex Live we decided to lift a lid on the gang scene and explore … Continue reading The Essex Gang Scene Uncovered
On April 24, 2018 I went to Chelmsford Crown Court to live blog the prosecution opening of the Kevin Malthouse murder trial. The 24-year-old was a father of one and a former non-league footballer who had died after sustaining fatal stab wounds to the chest in a street fight in Grays. The altercation had happened … Continue reading Covering the trial of two men accused of murdering a non-league footballer
During my time as a print reporter in the Essex Live newsroom, specifically the reporter for the Brentwood Gazette, one of the things that had attracted significant attention from our audience was the arrival of a new Halloween attraction. What I once knew to be a former leisure centre was set to be transformed into … Continue reading The night I took on Brentwood’s House of Horror
Alasdair Hooper 