Season 1 · Episode 10
Publicist for Ant & Dec since the day they met on SMTV Live. Working with RAYE for ten years through every chapter of her story. One Direction at their peak. And since lockdown, deliberately opening the doors the entertainment industry had kept shut for queer artists. 28 years. One unbreakable conviction: find the lane and commit to it completely.
Simon Jones has been one of the UK's leading publicists for 28 years. He got into the music industry at fifteen - applying to a Number One magazine competition with Sky TV, getting into a band, signing to Columbia Records at Sony, releasing a single, watching it tank completely, being dropped and returning home to his small village in Norfolk as the local flop pop star. He then used every contact that experience had given him to get into music PR when he arrived at university in London, was offered a full-time job after two days of work experience, fought his way onto the SMTV Live and CD:UK account at Freuds and introduced himself to Ant, Dec and Cat Deeley as their new publicist during rehearsals.
He has been Ant & Dec's publicist continuously ever since. Through SJPR he has worked with RAYE for a decade, handled One Direction at their peak, and manages current clients including Jade Thirlwall, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Bimini, Tia Kofi, Louise, Perrie Edwards, Cheryl, Mis-Teeq and Fearne Cotton among many others.
He is an Ambassador for Switchboard, was named LGBTQ+ Trailblazer at the 2025 Metro Pride Awards, won Outstanding Contribution to Entertainment at the Gaydio Pride Awards, won Media Organisation of the Year at the Diversity in Media Awards, and has featured in both Attitude Magazine's 2026 101 Trailblazers list and The Guardian's Top 100 most celebrated LGBTQ+ people in the UK.
Duration: 60 minutes 39 Seconds
Season: 1 · Episode 10
Also available: Audio only on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Acast
The flop pop star who used failure better than most people use success
Simon Jones got into the music industry at fifteen, applying to a Number One magazine competition with Sky TV that offered a record deal. He got in, signed to Columbia Records at Sony, filmed in The Broom Cupboard with Phillip Schofield, did showcases and Saturday morning television - and then the first single came out and tanked completely. He was dropped and went home to his small Norfolk village as the local flop pop star. His response was to look at every contact the experience had given him and use them to get work experience in music when he arrived at university in London. Two days in, he was offered a full-time job. That is Simon Jones's career philosophy in miniature: find the door, get through it, make it work.
SMTV Live, Ant & Dec and the most important professional relationship of his career
The defining moment came at Freuds, when Simon heard a rumour the company was pitching for SMTV Live and CD:UK - at the time struggling, not yet the Saturday morning institution everyone remembers. He went to his boss and said he wanted it. He was told he wasn't experienced enough. He kept pushing until they let him. He walked onto set during rehearsals and introduced himself to Ant, Dec and Cat Deeley as their new publicist, feeling like a complete fraud. He has been Ant & Dec's publicist continuously ever since — without interruption, from that Friday rehearsal to today. "It probably remains the most important professional relationship of my career," he says. "Not because they're my biggest clients, but because of the length of time we've worked together."
RAYE, One Direction and what PR actually does
Simon's account of ten years working with RAYE is the most honest description of long-term music PR commitment in this conversation. He watched an artist who wanted to release her music being held back, understood what was wrong, and stayed in her corner through every chapter until she won multiple BRIT Awards and released to widespread critical acclaim in 2026. His description of the One Direction Leicester Square premiere - Transport for London warning commuters to avoid central London - gives a precise picture of what operating at that scale actually feels like from the inside. His current roster reflects the breadth of his practice: Niall Horan released his fourth album in June 2026, Louise is about to go on her first tour in eight years, and Mis-Teeq have just returned.
Bimini, Tia Kofi, The Vivienne and LGBTQ+ advocacy
The work Simon has done since lockdown managing drag artists gives him the greatest professional satisfaction. He managed The Vivienne from Drag Race UK Series 1 through to the Wicked Witch of the West in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Wizard of Oz and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He worked with Bimini towards a Sony Music major label deal - the first Drag Race UK artist to sign to a major. He spent three years building Tia Kofi's profile with the BBC until Tia became a presenter on a primetime BBC One Eurovision show. Outside his work with individual artists, Simon is an Ambassador for Switchboard, was named LGBTQ+ Trailblazer at the 2025 Metro Pride Awards, won Outstanding Contribution to Entertainment at the Gaydio Pride Awards, and has featured in Attitude Magazine's 2026 101 Trailblazers list and The Guardian's Top 100 most celebrated LGBTQ+ people in the UK. Growing up gay in a small Norfolk village where he had never met another openly gay person, the advocacy work is personal as well as professional.
"PR doesn't necessarily sell records. But it absolutely shapes perception - it sets the tone, positions the project, defines who you're speaking to."
Simon Jones, on what music publicity actually does
"Find the lane. Then commit to it completely."
Simon Jones, on managing Bimini, Tia Kofi and The Vivienne
"Take a breath before posting. Not everything requires a response. Not every conversation needs you in it."
Simon Jones, on the most important piece of advice for artists on social media
The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast is hosted by Mark Adams - founder of Blinding Talent and former Director of Music Programming at Channel 4, where he launched the Official YouTube Chart (2015) and Spotify's first ever Streaming Chart (2016). Each episode is an in-depth conversation with a senior music industry figure - equal parts campfire stories and practical insight.
If this episode resonated, Blinding Talent works with independent artists across the UK and internationally - helping them do exactly what Simon describes - what genuine fandom looks like, what it requires and why the relationship between an artist and their fans is the most important thing a career is built on.
From artist management with Mark Adams to digital marketing campaigns across Spotify, Meta and YouTube, everything we do is built around getting artists closer to the music industry.
Simon Jones is one of the UK's leading entertainment and music publicists with 28 years of experience. He is the founder of SJPR and has been Ant & Dec's publicist continuously since they first met on SMTV Live. He has worked with RAYE for ten years, handled One Direction at their global peak, and currently represents Jade Thirlwall, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Bimini, Tia Kofi, Louise, Perrie Edwards, Cheryl, Mis-Teeq, Scissor Sisters and Fearne Cotton among others. He is a Switchboard Ambassador, was named LGBTQ+ Trailblazer at the 2025 Metro Pride Awards and features in both Attitude Magazine's 2026 101 Trailblazers list and The Guardian's Top 100 most celebrated LGBTQ+ people in the UK.
Simon Jones signed to Columbia Records at fifteen via a Number One magazine competition - the band flopped, were dropped and he returned to his small Norfolk village as the local flop pop star. He used the contacts that experience gave him to secure work experience at a music management and PR company when he arrived at university in London, was offered a full-time job after two days, and eventually joined Freuds where he talked his way onto the SMTV Live and CD:UK account - beginning his relationship with Ant & Dec that has lasted ever since.
Simon Jones is direct: PR doesn't necessarily sell records. What it does is shape perception - setting the tone of a campaign, positioning the project and defining the audience. It creates the environment in which streaming, radio, television and social media support can all succeed. He also emphasises the importance of knowing when not to engage: "Take a breath before posting. Not every conversation needs you in it."
The Blinding Talent Music Industry Podcast is hosted by Mark Adams - founder of Blinding Talent and former Director of Music Programming at Channel 4. Guests include Simon Jones, Colin Barlow, Sol Parker, Judd Lander and many others from across the music and entertainment industry.
