Digital Spy is turning 25 and the coming year will mark our ongoing celebrations of the brand – along with the biggest British entertainment from our lifetime, and those that will sculpt the hits of the future.
It's so rare for a digital media brand to still be going so strong after all this time. We want to make the most of it, and most importantly, reward you for staying tuned in.
We'll honour the history of Digital Spy from the website's inception as digiNEWS, to the launch of the forums and the founding of the Digital Spy name. We'll be looking back at our ongoing breaking TV news coverage and in-depth hot takes and features – along with our expansion into Gay Spy, and subsequent evolution of LGBTQ+ Spy and Rainbow Crew.
Plus, we'll be celebrating a whopping 16 years' worth of Reader Awards winners, plus more of our history and our present day including film screenings, panels, live-streamed reactions, podcasts, videos, newsletters, a digital magazine, and so much more.
We'll refresh classic franchises and revisit major A-list interviews, along with long-time contributors, and superfans. We'll focus on what our readers love to reward the loyal fans who have stuck with us for all this time, as we'll never take that for granted.
Digital Spy's 25 years have seen the rise of reality TV, the faltering of terrestrial, and the DVD boxset binging boom. We've also witnessed the rise of franchises, cinematic universes, and the equalising of television and film, as stars hopped from the cinema to small screens, too.
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There's been the evolution of social media, of live tweeting (or Xeeting), TikToking and Vining (remember that?). The idea of 'second screening' and the age of streaming, and streaming wars. The idea of 'peak TV', of choice paralysis, of constant prequels, reboots, remakes, and now legacy-sequels.
Then, there was the COVID-19 pandemic, which paused productions globally and made the escape through the screen even more important, followed by the recent Hollywood strikes and the looming threat of AI to creative industries.
We've seen the end – and hastened return – of classic soaps like Neighbours, covered mega-watt shows like Game of Thrones from start to finish, and not one, but two Star Wars trilogies to complete the nine-movie Skywalker Saga. Meanwhile, reboots of British classics like Doctor Who, Love Island and Black Mirror have gained more popularity than ever before.
And of course, there's the enduring legacy of both British soaps and Big Brother, which have been as intrinsic to the history of Digital Spy as they have been to British culture. And there's so much more, from sticking Rylan in our confessional booth to interviewing the Cookie Monster. Plus, ten adorably chaotic minutes with Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench promoting Cats *shudder*.
You can keep up with the latest on Digital Spy's 25th Anniversary in our dedicated channel, by signing up for push notifications from this page, subscribing to our newsletter, or following us on *deep breath* Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter.
Thanks for watching along with us.
Laurence Mozafari (he/him) is a multi-award winning journalist, editor, and presenter. A former Editor-in-Chief of Digital Spy, Laurence previously held roles as the site's Editor, Deputy Editor, and Associate Editor focusing on news, social, and video. Laurence hosted the BBC Sounds podcast Obsessed with Peaky Blinders in 2019. He also hosts his own podcast production, Time of My Life, where he interviews fascinating elders about their life lessons, including Only Fools and Horses' Sir David Jason, Star Trek’s George Takei and Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh.
Laurence was named Editorial Director – Youth Audience at Reach in early 2025. Prior to joining Digital Spy, he was previously at Bauer Media working as Digital Editor of Heat magazine's website Heatworld.com, and has also worked at and written for Sky, NME, Q magazine, Grazia, Closer, FHM and dedicated careers website GoThinkBig. He secured a first-class BA journalism degree at Staffordshire University, along with several NCTJ qualifications, and now has 14 years' experience in digital publishing covering TV, movies, music, gaming, tech, showbiz, and travel.
Laurence has been a broadcasting contributor on television and radio, including KISS, Heat Radio, BBC Radio London, Radio 5 Live, and BBC Breakfast.
He is also a visiting lecturer at various universities teaching journalism, including City, University of London, Nottingham Trent, Staffordshire University and London Metropolitan. Laurence has won numerous awards in his journalism career, including the BSME Talent Award’s Best Deputy Editor, the PPA's 30 Under 30, and the New Editor and Editor of the Year at the AOP and BSMEs. He led Digital Spy to win PPA's Digital Content Team of the Year twice, along with the British Media Awards’ Brand of the Year in 2021.
Laurence joined the committee for the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2022 and was named vice-chair in 2025. He has since hosted panels with CEOs of Immediate Media and the Media Trust at the PPA Festival, as well as presenting his own radio show on Green Man Radio at Green Man Festival in 2022. Laurence is also a Brits voting academy member.
Laurence has been lucky enough to interview numerous celebrities, actors, and musicians throughout his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger loved his hair, Jimmy Carr loved his coat and Antonio Banderas gave a shout-out to his mum. Laurence has covered set visits for The Witcher on Netflix and Marvel’s Inhumans, he got Daisy Ridley to do a Chewbacca impression and loves Marvel, PlayStation, Glastonbury and craft beer. Linkedin
