Northern & Shell
British publishing and media group founded by Richard Desmond in 1974.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Northern & Shell is a British publishing and media group founded by Richard Desmond in December 1974. The company began with International Musician and Recording World, a magazine focused on the music industry, and subsequently developed a business model built around specialist and niche publishing. From the 1980s it became closely associated with adult magazines after obtaining the United Kingdom licence for Penthouse in 1983. It expanded this activity through a broad portfolio of titles aimed at particular audiences and interests, including Asian Babes and publications produced through its Fantasy Publications subsidiary. The adult-magazine operation emphasized multiple relatively low-cost titles rather than reliance on a single mass-market publication. The group later sold its portfolio of soft-porn magazines in 2004, although it retained other interests in adult television for a period. During the 1990s, Northern & Shell diversified beyond adult publishing. Its magazine portfolio came to include comics, the gay lifestyle title Attitude, the women's magazine For Women, and the celebrity magazine OK!, which began as a monthly publication in 1993. The group also launched or acquired other entertainment and celebrity titles, including New! and Star. This expansion helped establish Northern & Shell as a substantial consumer-magazine publisher rather than solely an adult-content specialist. The company developed offices in London's Docklands and later occupied Northern & Shell Tower in Canary Wharf, reflecting its growth during the period. A major strategic change occurred in November 2000, when Northern & Shell acquired Express Newspapers from United News & Media. The transaction brought the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday and a stake in the Irish Star into the group. The acquisition substantially increased Northern & Shell's presence in national newspaper publishing and made the company a prominent participant in the British popular press. The purchase was financed partly through borrowing, and the group subsequently sought to generate cash and focus investment on the newspaper business. It also attempted to acquire further established publications, including The Spectator and the Telegraph titles, but did not succeed in acquiring the Telegraph newspapers. Northern & Shell later entered television. In July 2010 it bought Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited from RTL Group, taking control of Channel 5 and its associated channels, then known as 5* and 5USA. The channels were sold to Viacom in 2014, ending the group's ownership of the terrestrial television operation. Northern & Shell also owned Portland TV, the operator of adult television services including Television X and Red Hot TV, until that business was sold in 2016. In parallel, the group operated The Health Lottery in the United Kingdom from its launch in 2011 and announced investments in technology and property-related start-ups through Northern & Shell Ventures, including OpenRent, Tepilo and Lulu. The group's publishing assets were sold in February 2018 to Trinity Mirror, subsequently known as Reach. The transaction included the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday, OK!, New! and Star. This sale removed Northern & Shell's best-known newspaper and celebrity-magazine brands from its portfolio. The company therefore evolved from a diversified publishing and broadcasting group into a smaller media and investment organization with interests including The Health Lottery and venture investments. Its history is defined by repeated movement between specialist magazines, adult entertainment, national newspapers, television and newer business ventures, with Richard Desmond remaining the central owner and founder throughout the group's development.
History
Richard Desmond established Northern & Shell in December 1974 and launched International Musician and Recording World as its first magazine. The business initially developed through specialist publishing, later moving into adult magazines after receiving the United Kingdom licence for Penthouse in 1983. Northern & Shell expanded this side of the business with numerous niche titles, including Asian Babes and magazines issued through Fantasy Publications. Its approach relied on producing a range of targeted publications at comparatively low cost, serving distinct readerships rather than concentrating on one general-interest title. The company became an important publisher of adult magazines in the United Kingdom and claimed substantial monthly circulation for parts of its portfolio during the 1990s. The group broadened its publishing activities in the early 1990s. Its titles came to include comics, the gay lifestyle magazine Attitude, For Women and other specialist publications. OK! was introduced as a monthly celebrity magazine in 1993 and later became one of the group's best-known consumer brands. New! and Star were also part of its celebrity and entertainment publishing activities. Northern & Shell's growth was accompanied by expansion into prominent London premises, including offices in the Docklands and Northern & Shell Tower in Canary Wharf. The most consequential event in the company's history was its November 2000 purchase of Express Newspapers from United News & Media. The acquisition brought the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday into Northern & Shell, together with a joint interest in the Irish Star. It transformed the company into a major national newspaper group. Northern & Shell borrowed to help fund the transaction and subsequently reviewed parts of its earlier portfolio. Its adult-magazine titles were offered for sale in 2001 and were sold in 2004, although the divestment did not immediately eliminate all adult-entertainment interests. The company also pursued further newspaper acquisitions, including an unsuccessful attempt to acquire the Telegraph titles. Northern & Shell entered television in 2010 by purchasing Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited from RTL Group. Ownership covered Channel 5 and the associated channels 5* and 5USA. The television operation was sold to Viacom in 2014. The company separately owned Portland TV, which operated adult channels such as Television X and Red Hot TV, until selling that business in 2016. Outside conventional publishing and broadcasting, Northern & Shell operated The Health Lottery from its United Kingdom launch in 2011. It also created Northern & Shell Ventures, investing in start-ups including OpenRent, Tepilo and Lulu. In February 2018, Trinity Mirror bought Northern & Shell's publishing operations. The sale included the Express newspaper titles and the celebrity magazines OK!, New! and Star. This transaction marked the end of Northern & Shell's direct ownership of the group's most prominent newspaper and magazine brands. The company consequently became a more limited private media and investment business, retaining interests such as The Health Lottery and venture investments. Across its history, Northern & Shell repeatedly repositioned itself: from music and specialist magazines, to adult publishing, to national newspapers and television, and later toward lottery operations and early-stage investments.
- 2018
Publishing operations sold to Trinity Mirror
[1]Trinity Mirror acquired Northern & Shell's Express newspapers and principal celebrity-magazine titles.
- 2016
Portland TV sold
[1]Northern & Shell sold its Portland TV adult-channel business.
- 2014
Channel 5 sold to Viacom
[1]The company sold Channel 5, 5* and 5USA to Viacom.
- 2011
The Health Lottery launches
[1]Northern & Shell began operating The Health Lottery in the United Kingdom.
- 2010
Channel 5 acquired
[1]Northern & Shell bought Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited from RTL Group.
- 2004
Adult magazine portfolio sold
[1]The company sold its portfolio of soft-porn magazines.
- 2000
Express Newspapers acquired
[1]Northern & Shell acquired Express Newspapers from United News & Media, adding several national newspaper titles.
- 1993
OK! launches as a monthly magazine
[1]The celebrity title OK! began publication as a monthly magazine.
- 1983
Penthouse licence obtained
[1]Northern & Shell obtained the United Kingdom publishing licence for Penthouse, beginning a major expansion into adult magazines.
- 1974
Northern & Shell is founded
[1]Richard Desmond founded Northern & Shell in December and launched International Musician and Recording World.
Products and positioning
A privately owned British media group that historically combined specialist and adult publishing with mass-market newspapers, celebrity magazines, television channels and lottery-related operations.
National newspaper
Daily Express
A British national daily newspaper that entered Northern & Shell's portfolio through the 2000 acquisition of Express Newspapers. It was one of the group's principal mass-market newspaper assets until the publishing operations were sold to Trinity Mirror in 2018.
Sunday newspaper
Sunday Express
The Sunday counterpart to the Daily Express and part of the Express Newspapers portfolio acquired by Northern & Shell in 2000. It was transferred to Trinity Mirror with the rest of the group's principal publishing assets in 2018.
National newspaper
Daily Star
A British popular daily newspaper associated with Northern & Shell after the company's acquisition of Express Newspapers. The title was among the newspapers sold to Trinity Mirror in 2018.
Celebrity magazine · 1993
OK!
A celebrity and entertainment magazine launched by Northern & Shell as a monthly title in 1993. It became one of the group's most recognizable magazine brands before being included in the 2018 sale to Trinity Mirror.
Adult magazine · 1983
Penthouse
Northern & Shell obtained the United Kingdom publishing licence for Penthouse in 1983. The licence helped establish the company's adult-magazine publishing division, which was later separated from the group through the sale of its soft-porn magazine portfolio.
Lottery operation · 2011
The Health Lottery
A United Kingdom lottery operation that Northern & Shell has operated since its launch in 2011. It represents the group's activity outside its former newspaper, magazine and television businesses.
Television channel
Channel 5
The principal channel of Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited, acquired by Northern & Shell from RTL Group in 2010 and sold to Viacom in 2014 together with associated channels 5* and 5USA.
Brand decisions
2018
Sell publishing operations to Trinity MirrorM&ABackground
Northern & Shell reorganized its portfolio after years of operating national newspapers and consumer magazines.
Action taken
The group sold its publishing operations, including the Express newspapers and OK!, New! and Star, to Trinity Mirror.
Aftermath
Northern & Shell ceased to own its principal newspaper and celebrity-magazine brands and became a smaller media and investment group.
Sale price. £126.7 million (February 2018)
2014
Sell Channel 5 to ViacomM&ABackground
Northern & Shell decided to dispose of its television channels after four years of ownership.
Action taken
The company sold Channel 5, 5* and 5USA to Viacom.
Aftermath
The transaction ended Northern & Shell's ownership of the Channel 5 television group.
Sale price. £450 million (May 2014)
2010
Acquire Channel 5 Broadcasting LimitedM&ABackground
Northern & Shell diversified into television by purchasing Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited from RTL Group.
Action taken
The company acquired Channel 5 and its associated channels, then known as 5* and 5USA.
Aftermath
Northern & Shell exited the television business when the channels were sold to Viacom in 2014.
Acquisition price. €125 million (£103.5 million) (July 2010)
2000
Acquire Express NewspapersM&ABackground
Northern & Shell sought to expand from magazines into national newspaper publishing and acquired Express Newspapers from United News & Media.
Action taken
The group purchased the Express newspaper portfolio, including the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday.
Aftermath
The acquisition made Northern & Shell a major British national newspaper publisher and became the center of its subsequent investment strategy.
Acquisition price. £125 million (November 2000)
Recent events
- 2018
Trinity Mirror acquires Northern & Shell publishing assets[1]
M&A
Trinity Mirror purchased Northern & Shell's principal publishing operations, including the Express newspapers and OK!, New! and Star magazines.
- 2016
Northern & Shell sells Portland TV[1]
M&A
The group sold Portland TV, which operated adult television services including Television X and Red Hot TV.
- 2014
Channel 5 channels sold to Viacom[1]
M&A
Northern & Shell sold Channel 5, 5* and 5USA to Viacom for a reported £450 million, ending its ownership of the television group.
- 2010
Northern & Shell buys Channel 5[1]
M&A · Other
Northern & Shell acquired Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited from RTL Group for a reported €125 million, taking control of Channel 5 and its associated channels.
- 2004
Northern & Shell sells its adult magazine portfolio[1]
Other
The group sold its portfolio of soft-porn magazines, a move associated with raising funds for the Express Newspapers business and reducing the prominence of that part of its publishing operations.
- 2000
Northern & Shell acquires Express Newspapers[1]
M&A · Other
Northern & Shell bought Express Newspapers from United News & Media, adding the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday and a joint interest in the Irish Star to its publishing portfolio.
Sources1 sources
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