Loaded founder James Brown on lads’ mags, lairiness and living to tell the tale: ‘We flew so close t
Life and style | The Guardian
The magazine he created became synonymous with bad behaviour in the 90s. Is the enfant terrible of British media now a reformed character?
‘Where do you want to start?” says James Brown, gesturing towards his hearing aids. “I can’t hear anything from all the gigs, my eyes have gone from screens, my teeth are fucked, I’ve got arthritis in my hands, I’m overweight, my knees are knackered, the X-rays of my legs look like a broken bottle … ” He trails off for a second, then smiles. “But apart from that, I’m all right!”
He genuinely means that last bit: a life in magazines might have left Brown feeling like a “beaten up old car”, but he seems to be doing pretty great at the moment. We meet at his beach house near Rye. When I arrive, his girlfriend and youngest son are just off for a spot of blackberry picking – what could be more idyllic?
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