Alastair Campbell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Campbell in 2024 | |
| Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy | |
| In office 15 July 2000 – 29 August 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | David Hill |
| Downing Street Press Secretary | |
| In office 2 May 1997 – 15 July 2000 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Jonathan Haslam |
| Succeeded by | Godric Smith |
| Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson | |
| In office 2 May 1997 – 15 July 2000 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Godric Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alastair John Campbell (1957-05-25)25 May 1957 (age 68) Keighley,West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Party | Independent (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations | Labour (until 2019) |
| Domestic partner | Fiona Millar |
| Children | 3, includingGrace |
| Education | Bradford Grammar School City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School |
| Alma mater | Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (BA) |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Tony Blair'sstrategist The Rest Is Politics |
| Signature |  |
| Website | www |
Alastair John Campbell (born 25 May 1957) is a British journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster, and activist, who is known for his political roles duringTony Blair's leadership of theLabour Party. Campbell worked as Blair's spokesman and campaign director in opposition (1994–1997), then asDowning Street Press Secretary, and as thePrime Minister's Official Spokesperson (1997–2000). He then became Downing Street's director of communications and spokesman for the Labour Party (2000–2003).
Campbell was Political Editor at theDaily Mirror newspaper in the 1980s and ofToday in the 1990s. Shortly after Blair was elected asLeader of the Labour Party in 1994, Campbell left theToday newspaper to become Blair'spress secretary. He was one of several key people responsible for the rebranding of the Labour Party asNew Labour before its victory in the1997 general election. In addition to being the press spokesman, Campbell was Blair's speechwriter and chief strategist, earning a reputation for ruthless news management. Campbell played an important role in the run-up to the 1997 general election, working withPeter Mandelson to co-ordinate Labour's successful election campaign.
When Labour won the general election in May 1997, Campbell served as Blair's chief press secretary. He put Downing Street briefings on record for the first time, and although he was only identified as thePrime Minister's Official Spokesman, he became one of the most high-profile and written-about figures in British politics, earning the epithet "the realdeputy Prime Minister". Campbell oversaw Blair's successful2001 general election campaign for re-election. In the run-up to theIraq War, Campbell was involved in the preparation and release of theSeptember Dossier in 2002 and theIraq Dossier in 2003. Campbell was accused of influencing the reports against the wishes of the intelligence services, which led to Campbell battling with the BBC as well as the general media and later resigning. He returned to assist with the successful2005 general election campaign.
Since his work for Blair, Campbell has continued to act as a freelance advisor to a number of governments and political parties, includingEdi Rama, thePrime Minister of Albania.[1] He was an adviser to thePeople's Vote campaign, campaigning for a public vote on the finalBrexit deal. He is theeditor-at-large ofThe New World (formerlyThe New European) and chief interviewer forGQ. He acts as a consultant strategist and as an ambassador forTime to Change and other mental health charities. Throughout his time in Downing Street, Campbell kept adiary which reportedly totalled some two million words. Selected extracts, titledThe Blair Years, were published in 2007. He expressed an intention to publish the diaries in fuller form, which he did from 2010 to 2018. In 2019, Campbell was expelled from the Labour Party after voting for theLiberal Democrats in that month'sEuropean elections. In 2022, Campbell launched the podcastThe Rest Is Politics withRory Stewart, which has been the top politics podcast in the UK in theApple rankings since its launch.[2][3]
Campbell was born on 25 May 1957 inKeighley,West Riding of Yorkshire, the son of Scottish veterinary surgeon Donald Campbell and his wife, Elizabeth (née Caldwell),[4][5] who had moved to Keighley when his father became a partner in a local veterinary practice.[6]
His mother Elizabeth Howie Caldwell (née Cameron), was fromBurnhouse, Ayrshire. His father was from Corrairigh, Cornaigbeg, Tiree, the son of Lachlan Campbell. His parents married atLaigh Kirk, Kilmarnock on 18 March 1953.[7][8] Campbell grew up with two older brothers, Donald and Graeme, and a younger sister, Elizabeth.[citation needed]
Campbell attendedBradford Grammar School for a short period of time,[9] followed byCity of Leicester Boys' Grammar School,[4] and theUniversity of Cambridge, where he was an undergraduate student ofGonville and Caius College, Cambridge.[4][5] He studiedmodern languages (French and German), gaining an upper second class degree.
Following graduation from Cambridge, he joined theMirror Group training scheme and spent a year at a local weekly paper. He became the sports editor at theTavistock Times, writing a column called 'Campbell's Corner'. He publishedInter-City Ditties, his winning entry to a readers' competition inForum, the journalistic counterpart toPenthouse magazine. This led to a lengthy stint writing pieces for the magazine.[10] His first piece for mainstream news journalism was coverage of thePenlee lifeboat disaster in December 1981, while a trainee on the Plymouth-basedSunday Independent, then owned by Mirror Group.
In 1982, Campbell moved to the London office of theDaily Mirror,Fleet Street's sole remaining big-circulation supporter of theLabour Party. He became a political correspondent, then in 1986 moved toToday, a full-colourtabloid newspaper, where he worked as a news editor. His rapid rise and its accompanying stress led toalcohol abuse.[11] In 1986, while accompanying MPNeil Kinnock on a tour of Scotland, Campbell had a nervous breakdown. Campbell stayed in Ross Hall Hospital, a privateBMI hospital in Glasgow. Over the next five days as an in-patient, he was given medication to calm him. After seeing a psychiatrist, he realised that he had an alcohol problem. Campbell said that from that day onwards he counted each day that he did not drink alcohol, and did not stop counting until he had reached thousands. He experienced a period of depression and he was reluctant to seek further medical help. He eventually cooperated with treatment from his family doctor.[11]
Campbell returned to theDaily Mirror, where he eventually became political editor.[11] He was a close adviser to MP Neil Kinnock, andDaily Mirror publisherRobert Maxwell. Shortly after Maxwell drowned in November 1991, Campbell punchedThe Guardian journalistMichael White after White joked about "Captain Bob, Bob, Bob...bobbing" in the Atlantic Ocean, referring to where the tycoon's body had been recovered.[12] Campbell later put this down to stress over uncertainty as to whether he and his colleagues would lose their jobs.[13][14] After leaving theDaily Mirror in 1993, Campbell became political editor ofToday.
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In 1994, shortly afterTony Blair was elected asLeader of the Labour Party, Campbell left theToday newspaper to become Blair'spress secretary. In his autobiography, Blair would later state that Campbell had coined the name "New Labour" and described Campbell as a "genius". Campbell wrote the speech that led to the party's review ofClause IV and the birth of "New Labour". In addition to being the press spokesman, Campbell was Blair's speechwriter and chief strategist, earning a reputation for ruthless news management. TheConservatives conceded they were partly defeated by their inability to find someone to match him.[15] Campbell played an important role in the run-up to the1997 UK general election, working withPeter Mandelson to co-ordinate Labour's successful election campaign. He also worked hard to win support from the national media for the Labour Party, particularly from newspapers that for many years had been anti-Labour. By March 1997, many of the leading newspapers, includingThe Sun, once a staunch supporter ofMargaret Thatcher, declared their support for Labour.[16]
When Labour won the general election in May 1997, Campbell served as the Prime Minister Blair's chief press secretary (1997–2000). He persuadedCabinet SecretaryRobin Butler that government communications had to be modernised, and the government set up the Mountfield Review. He created a Strategic Communications Unit which gave Downing Street the power to co-ordinate all government activity, using what became known as "the grid" as its main apparatus. He set up a rapid rebuttal unit similar to the one he had used in opposition. He put Downing Street briefings on record for the first time, and although he was only identified as "The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman", he became one of the most high-profile and written-about figures in British politics, earning the epithet "the real deputy Prime Minister". He opened briefings to the foreign media, which were among a raft of modernisation and efficiency strategies he introduced.[17] In 2001 Campbell claimed that the days of the "bog standard"comprehensive school were over, due to educational policies of the Labour government.[18][19][20]
BBC documentary makerMichael Cockerell produced a full-length documentary about Campbell's media operation,News From Number Ten. Campbell attacked the news media for their obsession with him, and eventually began to pull back from frontline work and delegated direct briefing of the media to others. He then moved to the post of Prime Minister'sDirector of Communications.
Campbell was part of the core team that conducted the negotiations that led to theGood Friday Agreement inNorthern Ireland, and he has been honoured by several Irish universities for his role in the peace process. He became a close friend ofMartin McGuinness, and attended his funeral in 2017. McGuinness helped Campbell with a novel which had anIrish Republican Army (IRA) active service unit as part of the plot.
Campbell was seconded to overhaul the communications ofNATO during theKosovo War, when US PresidentBill Clinton feared NATO was losing the propaganda war against theSlobodan Milošević regime. The general in charge of the military operation,Wesley Clark, credited Campbell with bringing order and discipline to NATO communications, and freeing the military to do its job.
Campbell became a central figure in the handling of the aftermath ofDiana, Princess of Wales's death after the head of the royal household, theEarl of Airlie, asked Tony Blair to second Campbell to help prepare the funeral, saying they knew it would have to be different. Campbell is widely reported to have coined the phrase "the people's princess" and to have persuaded the queen to make her broadcast to the nation more personal, not least by using the phrase "speaking as a grandmother".
Campbell oversaw Blair's successful2001 UK general election campaign for re-election and also returned to assist with the successful2005 UK general election campaign.
In the run-up to theIraq War, Campbell was involved in the preparation and release of the "September Dossier" in 2002 and the "Iraq Dossier" in February 2003. These documents argued the case for concern overweapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Both have been criticised as overstating or distorting the actual intelligence findings. Subsequent investigations revealed that the "September Dossier" had been altered at Campbell's suggestion to be consistent with a 12 September 2002 speech given by President George W. Bush and statements by other United States officials. On 9 September 2002, Campbell sent a memo to SirJohn Scarlett, the chairman of theJoint Intelligence Committee, in which Campbell directed that the British dossier be "one that complements rather than conflicts with" the US claims.[21][22]
On 29 May 2003,Andrew Gilligan of theBBC first alleged Campbell to have influenced the reports against the wishes of the intelligence services,[23] misrepresenting his source,Dr David Kelly, in the process.[24] This led to Campbell battling with the BBC as well as the general media.
A Channel 4 interview[25]The Guardian called 'infamous' even 20 years later,[26] and forcefully written diary entries made public in theHutton Inquiry into the death of David Kelly[27] saw the resignation of Campbell during the inquiry,[28] then, upon publication of its findings, the resignation of both the Chair of the BBCGavyn Davies as well as its Director-GeneralGreg Dyke and, eventually, the resignation of Andrew Gilligan himself. The BBC's online history of itself describes it as "one of the most damaging episodes in the BBC's history".[23] After his resignation, a complete overhaul of the Prime Minister's press office was suggested in internal government documents, as the press office was seen as to have "lost all credibility as a reliable, truthful, objective operation".[26]
Neithera parliamentary investigation (2003) led byLord Hutton, nor aprivate review (2004) of the intelligence services byLord Butler found cases of wrongdoing on Campbell's behalf. (Though the opposite case continued to be made in the media. Also, with conviction, by Dyke and Gilligan.)[29] Neither did theChilcot Inquiry of 2016, which was much more critical of the government than previous investigations.[30][22]
Another view has been offered by Biljiana Scott, as early as 2004. She suggested that an accessible explanation for the incident can be found by examining the parties' differing professional cultures.[24] Kelly sought to communicate scientific truth, Gilligan sought to communicate the government's lacking argument, and Campbell sought to communicate the case for war in the most convincing way available. Later in 2003, commenting on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Campbell said, "Come on, you don't seriously think we won't find anything?".[31] Even years later he was genuinely convinced of there being a case for war.[26]
In 2013, in a speech Campbell gave in Australia, he argued that there had always been "spin" and propaganda, but that there was more pressure to tell the truth 'today' than there was during the Second World War. He went on to claim that Tony Blair had "greater commitment to wartime truth thanWinston Churchill".[32]
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Campbell worked again for the Labour Party as Campaign Director in the run-up to their third consecutive victory at the 2005 general election. Campbell also acted as an adviser toGordon Brown andEd Miliband at the2010 and the2015 general elections.Sir Clive Woodward recruited Campbell to manage relations with the press for theBritish & Irish Lionstour to New Zealand in 2005. Campbell wrote a column forThe Times during the tour.
Throughout his time in Downing Street, Campbell kept adiary which reportedly totaled some 2 million words. Selected extracts, titledThe Blair Years, were published on 9 July 2007. Subsequent press coverage of the book's release included coverage of what Campbell had chosen to leave out, particularly in respect of the relationship between Blair and hischancellor and successor Gordon Brown. Campbell expressed an intention to one day publish the diaries in fuller form, and indicated in the introduction to the book that he did not wish to make matters harder for Brown in his new role as Prime Minister, or to damage the Labour Party. Campbell released the diaries in fuller form from 2010 to 2018.
In 2003 and 2004, Campbell wrote a series forThe Times newspapers, analysing greatness in sports to answer the question "Who is the greatest sports star of all time?" Although his conclusion wasMuhammad Ali, as part of the process, he interviewed and profiled sports stars from around the world, includingIan Botham,Nick Faldo,Ben Ainslie,Michael Phelps,Martina Navratilova,Shane Warne,Alex Ferguson,Bobby Charlton andLance Armstrong. Campbell later said that he "fell hook, line and sinker" for the Armstrong legend. He subsequently worked with Armstrong, campaigning for cancer charities, but drew criticism from Armstrong's nemesisDavid Walsh for being so supportive and defending him so passionately. Campbell later acknowledged Walsh had been right.
Campbell has his own website and blog, as well as several pages on other social media websites.[33] He uses these platforms to discuss British politics and other topics close to his heart. So far, Campbell's commentaries and views have garnered media attention and generated interest among various online communities. In October 2008, he broadcast the personal story of his mental illness in a television documentary partly to reduce the stigma of that illness.[11] He has written a novel on the subject entitledAll in the Mind.
Campbell made his first appearance on the BBC One political discussion programmeQuestion Time on 27 May 2010. At the opening of the edition, presenterDavid Dimbleby said that the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition would not allow afrontbench member of the government to appear on the show unless Campbell was dropped. The BBC refused to do this. The government later accused the BBC of behaving improperly for allowing Campbell to appear as a more in-depth version of his diaries was due to be published the following week, and a Downing Street spokesman toldThe Guardian, "Campbell seemed to be on because he's flogging a book next week, so the BBC haven't behaved entirely properly here."[34] Campbell said that he had waited until Labour were in opposition before appearing on the show and that the date was a coincidence as it was the only time he was free. He suggested the discord was part of a Conservative anti-BBC agenda.[34] The minister who had been scheduled to appear was the thenChief Secretary to the TreasuryDavid Laws, who Campbell produced a picture of during the programme. Three days later, Laws resigned from his post following revelations about possible irregularities in his expenses claims inThe Telegraph the day before.
In 2011, Campbell contacted theMetropolitan Police with suspicions that hisphone was hacked by theNews of the World in 2003. He received damages, part of which he used to sponsor theBurnley women's football team.[35]
In May 2012, Campbell took a role at PR agencyPortland Communications, at the invitation ofTim Allan, a former adviser to Tony Blair.[36][37] Along with Blair, Campbell has also provided consultancy services to thegovernment of Kazakhstan on "questions of social economic modernisation."[38][39][40]
In January 2014, Campbell announced that he was joiningBritishGQ, with a brief to conduct interviews with figures from "politics... sport, business, culture, (and) other aspects of life that I find interesting", succeedingPiers Morgan. In his role atGQ Campbell has interviewed a wide range of public figures, includingJosé Mourinho,Raheem Sterling,Trent Alexander-Arnold,Mario Balotelli,Mo Farah andUsain Bolt from the world of sport and Tony Blair,Sadiq Khan,Nicola Sturgeon,George Osborne,John McDonnell,John Bercow, andChuka Umunna from the world of politics. Campbell has also conducted in-depth interviews with many other figures from public life, includingArchbishopJustin Welby,Garry Kasparov andRachel Riley. In 2017, Campbell conducted an interview withPrince William. In March 2017,GQ began to film the interviews to use as part of their digital platform, beginning with an interview withOwen Jones, and then Tony Blair. WhenJeremy Corbyn was interviewed for the magazine in late 2017, he did so on the condition that Campbell would not be the interviewer.[41][42][43]
In May 2016, theInternational Business Times announced that Campbell had joined it as a columnist.[44]
In March 2017, the newspaperThe New European announced that it had appointed Campbell aseditor-at-large.[45]
In May 2019, Campbell announced that he and his daughter Grace, a comedian and feminist, had launched a joint podcast,Football, Feminism and Everything In Between: a series of interviews with figures from politics, sport and other walks of life. Their first interview was with Ed Miliband, followed by Rachel Riley,Jamie Carragher,Kelly Holmes andMaro Itoje.[46]
When Government AdviserDominic Cummings broke government guidelines to visitDurham, England, Campbell urged his social media followers to write to all Conservative MPs asking for their view and published a 50,000-word analysis of what he called 'Organised Hypocrisy' on his website, based on the responses he collated.[47]
Campbell was a guest presenter ofGood Morning Britain from 10 to 12 May 2021, co-hosting withSusanna Reid.[48]
In January 2022, Campbell began a series of interviews forMen's Health calledTalking Heads, with a focus on mindset and well-being. This began with England rugby playerMaro Itoje and former athlete turned sports politicianSebastian Coe.[49]
In March 2022, Campbell launchedThe Rest Is Politics podcast withRory Stewart, a former Conservative Member of Parliament and a candidate in the2019 Conservative Party leadership election. The pair discuss current news stories and reminisce about their old jobs.[50]
In May 2023, Campbell published his eighteenth book,But What Can I Do?, a call to arms to people to get more engaged in politics. He provides an analysis of what he refers to as "populism, polarisation and post-truth politics".[51] The book went to No 1 in theSunday Times bestseller list in the first week of publication, meaning Campbell had both the most popularpodcast (The Rest Is Politics) and the best-selling non-fiction hardback book in the UK at the same time.
Campbell launched a regular series of 'Instagram live' broadcasts, in which he vented his criticisms ofBoris Johnson. Campbell was a critic ofRussia's invasion of Ukraine, and the British government's tolerance of oligarchs close toVladimir Putin, contrasting it with their 'cruel and shabby' treatment ofUkrainian refugees, who faced large amounts ofred tape before being considered for exile. He wrote extensively on his meetings with the Russian president alongside Tony Blair.[52]
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Immediately after the UK's referendum on membership of theEuropean Union in June 2016, Campbell stated that he thought it was "the worst decision Britain had made in his lifetime" and would do what he could to change people's minds. In addition to establishingThe New European, he was one of the early movers in thePeople's Vote campaign for a referendum on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.[53]
In 2018 Campbell became part of the top table team at the People's Vote campaign fighting for a referendum on the Brexit deal. This included overseeing the production of campaign films, including one written by and starring his daughter Grace, called The Brexit Special, for which Campbell persuaded actorRichard Wilson to revive his most famous character,Victor Meldrew.[54]
In 2018 Campbell worked for the People's Vote campaign's planning and organisation of a march on Parliament on 20 October, which drew an estimated 250,000 people[55] onto the streets. The march was described by the media as the second biggest ever, after the protest against the Iraq war in 2003.
Campbell helped organize and spoke at a second march and rally attended by an estimated million people in October 2019, on the day that Boris Johnson called a rare Saturday sitting in Parliament to back his Brexit deal.[citation needed]
In July 2017, Campbell was invited to speak at theFrench National Assembly to the newly elected MPs of PresidentEmmanuel Macron's victoriousEn Marche party. This was after Campbell had met and advised Macron during the campaign. He urged the French to be patient with the United Kingdom and to give them a chance to change course and reverse Brexit. He said Macron had been bolder than Tony Blair in setting up a new party and leading it to power within little over a year.[56][57]
Campbell wrote a piece criticising the chairman ofOpen Britain,Roland Rudd, after Rudd unilaterally decided to sack two key campaign officials ahead of the2019 UK general election.[58]
Campbell's experience with depression was recalled in a BBC documentary titledCracking Up.[59] He has since then been a prominent supporter and advocate for the mental health anti-stigma campaignTime to Change.[60][61] In November 2017, he was made an honorary fellow of theRoyal College of Psychiatrists in recognition of his work in breaking down the stigma surrounding mental illness and promoting the importance of psychiatry.[62][63]
Campbell took part in theMental Health Foundation's takeover ofChannel 4 for Mental Health Awareness Week 2017, acting as a celebrity continuity announcer. For the Mental Health Awareness Week two years later he broadcast the documentaryAlastair Campbell: Depression and Me, exploring different ways of dealing and coping with depression. It was part of a BBC series drawing attention to different mental health conditions.[64]
In 2019, Campbell was appointed global ambassador to Australians for Mental Health, a new umbrella organisation fighting for better services. He made numerous media appearances and caused controversy by saying on the Australian version ofQuestion Time, thatDonald Trump and fellow populists were "sowing the seeds of fascism".[65]
On 28 May 2019, Campbell announced that he had been expelled from the Labour Party after voting for theLiberal Democrats in that month'sEuropean elections, and that he would appeal against the decision.[66] He also questioned the speed of his expulsion compared to the treatment of Labour colleaguesaccused of anti-semitism. In response,shadow ministerDawn Butler stated that it was common knowledge that voting for another party would result in automatic exclusion.[67]
Campbell was a long-standing critic of Labour's Brexit strategy and in the May 2019 European elections, he voted for the Liberal Democrats as a protest vote. He announced this after the polls had closed in interviews on TV and radio covering the results as they came in. He said he did so, in common with many others, to persuade Labour unequivocally to back a People's Vote. Two days later, by email, he was expelled from the Party, a move which provoked a major media storm in which many other Labour members outed themselves as having voted for parties other than Labour, includingCherie Blair,Charles Clarke,Bob Ainsworth andBetty Boothroyd. A hashtag #ExpelMeToo trended on Twitter as ordinary members expressed their support for Campbell. He immediately appealed the decision, sayingtactical voting was not a breach of the rule under which he had been expelled, and arguing that unless all others who had acted as he did were expelled he also had a case for discrimination. Labour deputy leaderTom Watson condemned the expulsion as "spiteful" and a number of senior MPs immediately called for the decision to be reversed, and an amnesty of all who voted against Labour in the European elections.[68][69][70][71]
In July 2019, in the week Boris Johnson became prime minister, Campbell penned a 3,500-word open letter to Jeremy Corbyn saying he no longer wished to be re-admitted to the party despite legal advice saying he would win a court case against his expulsion. He called on Corbyn to step down and cited his "failure" on Brexit, antisemitism, broader policy and "above all the failure to develop and execute a strategy". The story was broken inThe Guardian and the full letter published inThe New European. Corbyn said he was "disappointed", prompting Campbell to ask why he had been expelled.[72][73]
Campbell voted Labour in the 2019 general election, having been part of a failed tactical voting campaign aimed at preventing Johnson from winning a majority.[67][74] Labour were returned to government in the2024 general election, under the leadership ofKeir Starmer. Campbell and Stewart did the election night coverage on Channel 4.
Campbell entered into acivil partnership with British journalistFiona Millar, on 30 March 2021, after being together for 42 years.[75] The couple have two sons and a daughter, the comedianGrace Campbell.[76][77] In early 2025, news outlets reported that Alastair Campbell’s son, Rory Campbell, was facing legal action over a failed football betting syndicate. Allegedly involving around 50 investors—including Alastair Campbell and his wife, Fiona—the syndicate was said to have incurred losses of up to £5 million.[78]
Campbell's nephewJames Naish has been theLabour Member of Parliament forRushcliffe since 2024.[79]
Campbell's older brother Donald suffered fromschizophrenia and died in 2016, aged 62, from complications resulting from his illness. Campbell has talked extensively about how Donald had inspired him to fight for better mental health services and understanding, and to become the ambassador for several mental health charities.[80][81]
Campbell is a lifelongBurnley supporter. He is regularly involved in events with the club, and was involved in rescuing the club from potential bankruptcy. He was one of the founders of theUniversity College of Football Business, based at Burnley's stadium.[82] Campbell is also a fan of therugby league clubKeighley Cougars, as it had been a childhood dream of his to play for the team.[83]
In his spare time, Campbell plays thebagpipes to relieve stress. During theCOVID-19 pandemic, he performed on the bagpipes in a charity song written by Martin Gillespie of Scottish band Skerryvore, "Everyday Heroes", which topped theiTunes download charts.[84][85] Campbell also has an interest in the music of the Belgian singerJacques Brel.[86]
Campbell is a keen runner, cyclist, swimmer andtriathlete, having raised over half a million pounds for charity running theLondon Marathon in 2003. In his 60s, he developed an interest in cold water swimming.[87] Campbell has described himself as a pro-faithatheist.[88]
Bremner, Bird and Fortune often satirised Campbell during the Blair years. In 2005, Campbell was played byJonathan Cake in theChannel 4 television filmThe Government Inspector, based on theDavid Kelly Case. The following year, he was portrayed by Mark Bazeley in theStephen Frears filmThe Queen – a role reprised by Bazeley in 2010 follow-upThe Special Relationship.Alex Jennings portrayed Campbell in the television dramaA Very Social Secretary. He featured inDead Ringers and was portrayed by Adam Damerell inseason 6 ofThe Crown. Campbell has been cited as the inspiration for the character ofMalcolm Tucker in the BBC political satire comedyThe Thick of It.[89]
In 2006 and 2007, Campbell took part inSoccer Aid as part of theRest of the World team. He appeared withDiego Maradona andPaul Gascoigne to raise money forUNICEF. Also in 2007, he appeared onComic Relief Does The Apprentice.
Campbell appeared as a mentor in the BBC Two seriesThe Speaker in April 2009, offering his advice on persuasive speaking.[90]
Campbell appeared on BBC'sTop Gear in July 2010, where he was booed by some members of the audience but set a time of 1:47 around theTop Gear test track in theStar in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment.
Campbell also took part in the 2011 Channel 4 television seriesJamie's Dream School.[91]In June 2012, he was guest presenter ofHave I Got News for You.[92]
Campbell presented and narrated the 20 February 2012 edition of the BBC current affairs programmePanorama, which was entitled "Britain's Hidden Alcoholics".
In 2012, Campbell made his first appearance in an acting role with a small part in an episode of the BBC dramaAccused.[93]
In November 2021 Campbell was featured in the BBC seriesWinter Walks, walking in theYorkshire Dales alongRibblesdale, from a waterfall above the market town ofSettle, toCatrigg Force nearStainforth, 5 mi (8.0 km) to the North.[94]
In May 2022 it was announced that Campbell would appear in the Channel 4 political entertainment seriesMake Me Prime Minister, due to broadcast at the end of September 2022.[95][96]
In May 2023, Campbell was involved in a heated debate withAlex Phillips, a member ofReform UK, on BBC Newsnight. Phillips later accused Campbell of "bullying, intimidation and thinly veiled misogyny". He later apologised to the presenter,Victoria Derbyshire, for his behaviour.[97]
"The day of the bog-standard comprehensive is over"
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