Max Clifford - PR Circus Ringmaster

 

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A modern day Angel or Devil?

 

Although his client range is varied, he is a controversial figure for often representing unpopular clients (such as those accused or convicted of crimes) and acting as an agent to people selling "kiss-and-tell" stories to tabloid newspapers. While he is primarily known for helping to bring damaging allegations to light, he insists that today most of his work is concerned with concealment of stories. When Max Clifford signed Jade Goody, she was a fading reality star. Her cancer brought her back to the front pages, with Jack Straw and even Gordon Brown offering support. But is she being exploited? And if so, by who?

 

From the Guardian 21/02/2009

"It's organised chaos," Max Clifford tells an Irish journalist with whom he's doing a live radio interview over the phone. He's talking about the arrangements for Jade Goody's wedding tomorrow, but he could equally well be referring to his own small office in Mayfair, which is accommodating the ebullient Clifford, seven members of staff (all female), three camera crews and numerous packages which members of the public have sent to be forwarded on to Goody, a hate-figure turned national icon.

 

The Irish radio interview goes well, except that he can't remember the name of the interviewer, which is Bláthnaid. "Don't worry, I'll just call her sweetheart," he tells his assistant. Everyone is sweetheart, or occasionally sunbeam. Impenetrable phone calls interrupt our conversation. The first apparently involves Clifford giving the story of Goody's wedding cake, which is being made by the hyperexpensive London restaurant Sketch (another Clifford client), to one of his media chums. The next sounds like it's someone trying to prise information about another of his high-profile clients, Alfie Patten, the "baby-faced dad", out of him, but he is giving nothing away. Except the phone, which he hands to his secretary to save us further disruption.

 

With the Goody and Alfie stories going full pelt, this has been one of those weeks in which Clifford appears to have been behind every headline. As bizarre as the photos of the youth's estranged father, Dennis Patten, wearing a devil mask might have looked, there was something very familiar to the placard he held: "No comment. Ring Max". Yet Clifford stresses that this is only the all-too-visible part of his business. "I have been just as busy this week on Simon Cowell as on either of those two because of a particular story, a business story, which was coming from America that I've been trying desperately to stop and that we so far have stopped."

 

Max Clifford's big break came as a Press Officer at EMI when in 1962 he was given the job of promoting an unknown and unwanted group called The Beatles early in their career, including of their first tour of the United States. Later he worked for an agency that looked after US stars when touring in the UK that included Frank Sinatra & Judy Garland.

 

In 1970 he set up his own agency named Max Clifford Associates. His early clients included Sinatra, Muhammed Ali, Marlon Brando & Marvin Gaye.

 

In March 1986 The Sun carried as its main headline: FREDDIE STARR ATE MY HAMSTER - one of the most famous British tabloid newspaper headlines of all time. The story was one of the first examples where, rather than PR agents managing what went into the media or confirming a journalist's storyline, Clifford created a fast-selling story which he sold to the media, and its counter line follow-up. As a result, it brought Clifford to the British public's attention. Clifford and Starr parted shortly afterwards, and more tellingly Clifford later used background material against the comedian to fuel the media storylines around Starr's later revelations during his divorce of wife battering, alcoholism, and drug taking.

 

This pattern also occurred for another former client of Clifford's Michael Barrymore. Max was a very close friend of Michael's wife, agent & manager Cheryl, so when the relationship became estranged with Michael alcoholism & coming out at the height of his popularity in the mid 1990s Max Clifford ceased to represent him. Indeed this coincided with a succession of negative stories reaching the tabloids which badly hurt Michael Barrymore's career. Whilst following the death of Stuart Lubbock in a swimming pool at a Party at Michael Barrymore's house in 2001, Stuart Lubbock's family where represented in the media by .... Max Clifford.

 

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Clifford ran and took part in discreet weekly adult sex parties for his friends and clients in South London. This brought him into contact with various madams and prostitutes, a connection which still serves him well in his business to satisfy the often bizarre needs of his clients, as well as an early warning system of interesting behaviour of various persons. Indeed one example of this was when Clifford was approached by a friendly madam of a brothel who had provided Clifford's client with various services, worried about publicity from an investigative reporter from the News of the World. Clifford asked the madam to talk him through her girls and clients, and found Pamella Bordes was then dating at the same time: Andrew Neil (then editor of The Sunday Times); Donald Trelford (then editor of the Observer); Conservative minister for sport Colin Moynihan; and billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. Clifford rang News of the World editor Patsy Chapman and drip-fed her the story of Bordes through the investigative reporter she was using on the madam. The story under the head line CALL GIRL WORKS IN COMMONS in March 1989 created a near Christine Keeler like image for Bordes when it went to press, when it was then discovered she had a House of Commons security pass arranged by 2 MPs. Clifford claims Bordes was never his client, and that he earned his fee for "writing" the story; but ultimately served the purpose of avoiding the madam any adverse publicity or court case.

 

Clifford has since represented various clients, including: David Copperfield; Mohamed Al-Fayed; Simon Cowell; Piers Morgan; Kerry Katona; brain-damaged boxer Michael Watson; Liverpool left-wing politician Derek Hatton for whom Clifford created an affair in order to change his image; former MI6 officer Richard Tomlinson; Norfolk farmer Tony Martin who was imprisoned for fatally shooting a burglar; Rebecca Loos when she negotiated with the press about her alleged affair with England football captain David Beckham; and Celebrity Big Brother 2007 winner Shilpa Shetty.

 

Still ironically from an interview in 2005:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/oct/1...aymediasection7

 

What do you think of the pantsdown celebrities you deal with?

 

MC: Well, most of them can't afford me. If you're Simon Cowell and you're making £50m a year then fine. Most of my clients are paying me £20,000 a month and I've got 15 of them. They're Russian property developers, TV companies, health and beauty companies, private jet companies, whatever. The celebrity world is nothing to me. The only person in that world I'll deal with is Kerry Katona, and most of that is magazine deals. In terms of the Big Brother lot - Jade Goody? I wouldn't touch her.

 

Clifford has been reported to give assistance to those who wish to or have to hide their sexuality from the public. In the past, Clifford has been approached by two FA Premier League clubs to "manage" the media sexuality of some of their players. Clifford comments on this unusual achievement:

“So far, none of my clients has been outed – but it's been a 40-year battle, and in the past ten years, as the media have become more intrusive, it's become much harder work. But that's part of the fascination."

 

Whilst he came to the aid of Girls Aloud's Cheryl Cole after Cole was subsequently charged with racially aggravated assault for a Jan 2003 Nightclub assault of a toilet attendent. Whilst he still represents both Cheryl & Chelsea Footballer Ashley Cole today.

 

However, as I've implied he is not someone to get the wrong side of. For example Clifford has a tendency to represent individuals who attempt to defame rival publicist Simon Fuller or his clients. In 2001 he came to client Simon Cowell's defence when Fuller's 19 Entertainment attempted to sue for copyright over X factor's similarities to Pop Idol. Clifford also acted for Rebecca Loos when she was negotiating with the press over an alleged affair with David Beckham, another of Fuller's clients. Another example of Clifford's malignity toward Fuller was when he broke the story of Sven-Göran Eriksson's affair with Faria Alam, both of the English FA, to the tabloid press - the England football team also happen to be clients of Fuller's. Indeed it is perhaps not coincidental that the amount of negative stories against X-Factor judge Dannii Minogue could be due to her using Fuller's company for her PR.

 

The point Max repeatedly makes is that he is running a serious business - "PR is about 80%, people coming to me with stories about 20%" - but that all anyone is ever interested is are his more lurid dealings with the media. His work for banks, restaurants and property firms may pay the bills, but it's his role in orchestrating spectacular tabloid scoops - who can forget "Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster" and "Mellor Made Love in Chelsea Strip"? - that have brought him fame, or, if you believe that he is part of the cheapening of public discourse, notoriety.

 

However, he has received death threats demanding that he sever links with the five men who were suspected of the killing of black teenager Stephen Lawrence. Clifford says he has never represented them :rolleyes:, but had merely put them in touch with ITV interviewer Martin Bashir. He also received death threats when he represented O.J. Simpson during his trial.

 

So back to this week, why has Max Clifford had the change of heart regarding Jade Goody. Maybe it was because he took up the challenge of resurrecting WAG & former Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd after the 2007 CBB racist debacle which lost her a six figure amount of modelling contracts & boyfriend footballer Teddy Sheringham; seeing her regain her place on the front covers of the Daily Star, and numerous lads mags via high profile relationships with Premiership footballers Jermaine Defoe & Darren Bent. Whilst in May 2007 Lloyd attended Shilpa Shetty's movie premiere at Leicester Square. The movie, Life In A... Metro was the first Bollywood movie Lloyd has seen. The two hugged and kissed on the red carpet in front of fans.

 

Or maybe it was because his wife Elizabeth died on 8 March 2003 after a nine month battle with lung cancer, after the pair had been together for 40 years. While on 17 April 2008, Clifford announced on ITV1's This Morning show that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer 6 months prior. He has been undergoing radiotherapy and said that during his treatment did not want to be followed by press and other interviewers. :rolleyes:

 

Happily, the Goody story, which culminates in tomorrow's wedding to Jack Tweed, requires no dissimulation. If Alfie is a no-win situation for Clifford, Goody has become a gimme, though it was anything but when he took the former Big Brother celebrity on a year ago. "Everything had gone and her career was at rock bottom," he recalls. "She came to me and said, 'Will you look after me?' I was happy to. I knew her well enough to know that she was far more sinned against than sinning, so I started to try to rebuild her career."

 

Goody was diagnosed with cervical cancer in August, it was reported to be "advanced and life-threatening" in September, and last week Clifford announced it was terminal. The imminence of death has revived her career and put to flight those who criticised her as a creature born of reality TV. "I think there are a lot of journalists out there. That maybe have actually got a twinge of conscience, which doesn't often happen, having said the things that they said, particularly initially - saying it was just a publicity stunt."

 

Goody's reaction at being struck down in this way at 27 and with two young sons has been impressive and moving, but how does the artificiality of Sunday's public wedding - OK! has paid £700,000 for exclusive magazine coverage, Living TV £100,000 for broadcast rights - square with that stark reality?

 

The Guardian 21/02/2009

 

"I don't think there's any artificiality about it at all. It's being done in the media spotlight; she's lived in the media spotlight; it comes naturally to her. She loves it; it fulfils her ... You're talking about Jade Goody. It might not be a genuine event for you, but for her it's extremely real, and it's probably the one thing she's focusing on now that gives her an awful lot of pleasure. It's been the biggest single factor in her staying focused, staying positive, enjoying life."

 

Equally important, in his eyes, is that the money from the wedding and the christening of her sons will ensure their future, and that coverage of her plight has encouraged more women to get cervical smear tests. It is a watertight case.

 

What Goody will not do, he says, is expose her final weeks to public view. "We are very close to the end in terms of what we're going to do media-wise," he says. "She wants to do maybe a one-off with Piers [Morgan] for ITV - she's known Piers for a while and that would be the definitive interview. There might be one or two other things and some charity work ..." But no more: reality TV can only take so much reality.

 

"Despite, or perhaps because of, the succession of camera crews, and calls about wedding cakes and whether Girls Aloud are going to play at the reception, he is remarkably jaunty. "This is not a career," he tells me at one point. "It's really a way of life."

 

So do you regard Max Clifford as a modern day Angel or a modern day Devil?

He's just an absolute twat.

 

I suggest if anyone hasn't seen it, then watch Louis Theroux's documentary with Max Clifford on YouTube as it's very eye-opening.

He's just an absolute twat.

 

I suggest if anyone hasn't seen it, then watch Louis Theroux's documentary with Max Clifford on YouTube as it's very eye-opening.

 

That was my next form of attack but as you've mentioned it:

 

When Louis Theroux met Max Clifford and Simon Cowell 1/6

 

When Louis Theroux met Max Clifford and Simon Cowell 2/6

 

When Louis Theroux met Max Clifford and Simon Cowell 3/6

When Louis Theroux met Max Clifford and Simon Cowell 4/6

 

When Louis Theroux met Max Clifford and Simon Cowell 5/6

 

When Louis Theroux met Max Clifford and Simon Cowell 6/6

 

The pay off to watching these episodes is in the last part.

The guy sounds like such a c/nt. Hypocritical, if anything. It's sick how someone's job (and he a job he enjoys) is to exaggerate and expose crap, personal life or just made up stories to the tabloids.

 

It's scary at how much control he has over all these businesses and firms..

The guy's an absoulute dickhead tbh

The guy sounds like such a c/nt. Hypocritical, if anything. It's sick how someone's job (and he a job he enjoys) is to exaggerate and expose crap, personal life or just made up stories to the tabloids.

 

It's scary at how much control he has over all these businesses and firms..

 

 

Bit ironic, considering who his #1 client is at the moment?

Just watched that documentary! Jeez.. The guy is an absolute twat.

 

As for Simon, I don't know. I hate what he does in the music industry, but as a TV Personality, I don't mind him, but he could do so much better if he ditched Max..

Just watched that documentary! Jeez.. The guy is an absolute twat.

 

As for Simon, I don't know. I hate what he does in the music industry, but as a TV Personality, I don't mind him, but he could do so much better if he ditched Max..

 

I think Max sort of took him under his wing, when Simon didn't know what was going on around him, and from there he's turned into an ego maniac, who while is very truthful with a lot of his comments, he doesn't half get loads of stuff wrong.

 

Max Clifford is just a vulture. He obviously doesn't give a damn about what stories he sends, he's just in it for the money. I won't deny he's good at what he does, as he is extremely good at planting stories, but he's just an absolute cock tbf.

It's weird seeing Simon as "second in command". Really, he was just some washed out guy who worked at Sony, and has become massive because (as you've said ^), he's had lots of help from a man who's very good at his job.

 

-_-