EXCLUSIVE: Marina Hyde, whose sharp and incisive columns have called out many public figures in British and U.S. society, is going solo – and it looks like she’ll be Always On.
We can reveal the broadcaster, podcaster and writer, who contributed to Apple TV series The Studio, is teaming up with Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger to launch Always On With Marina Hyde. This comes after she last month announced her exit from The Guardian newspaper after 26 years.
The brand is designed to bring her writing together with formats on YouTube and social media, and is being framed as “a window into the stories that Marina finds interesting – the details, performances and absurdities that catch her attention, and the connections only she can make.”
Expect interviews and collabs with influential British voices across a multitude of formats. On day one, Hyde will provide a regular written column, a YouTube show and original social content, and in “over time,” will push into “further audio, video and digital formats.”
Hyde is no stranger to her new home at Goalhanger, which produces her popular entertainment podcast, The Rest is Entertainment. She co-hosts the entertainment industry digest with Richard Osman. Hyde is expected provide more detail on the venture in the latest episode of the show.
“This is going to be so much fun,” said Hyde. “I’m hugely excited to be launching Always On in partnership with the brilliant team at Goalhanger, and to be able to respond to the news batsignal in whatever format feels right – written/video/podcast/social/costumed vigilantism. I’m also thrilled we’ve named it in tribute to the nervous breakdown it’s going to give me. Thanks guys – means a lot.”
For Goalhanger, Always On is the first launch from its Goalhanger X initiative, which aims on building creator-led media ventures. Hyde becomes the latest figure from British journalism branching out on their own, with The Traitors contestant and broadcaster Amol Rajan recently exiting the BBC to launch his own operation and the likes of former BBC staples Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel now well established with the Global-produced podcast The News Agents.
Jack Davenport, co-founder at Goalhanger, said of Always On: “We love Marina. At Goalhanger, our shows span sport, politics, history and entertainment, but the truth is Marina could host them all. There’s no one else who can bring together so many different strands and make sense of the world quite like she can.
“Partnering with her to launch Always On is the start of something really exciting for us as a business. Goalhanger X is built around unique personalities: people with a distinctive voice, an incredibly loyal audience and the ability to create far beyond any single format.”
Davenport said Always On would give Hyde Marina “the freedom to build a world around everything she finds interesting, funny or important, and to connect directly with audiences through writing, video, social, podcasts and whatever comes next.”
Goalhanger’s role would be providing the “creative, audience and commercial infrastructure around that vision so it can grow, while keeping Marina firmly at the centre.”