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James Bayley

Editor, Writer and Presenter

Based in London, I’m a journalist and editor with a background spanning drinks, sport, culture and lifestyle. My work has been published in titles including the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Star, MyLondon, The Drinks Business, Harpers Wine & Spirit, AS Roma Official and Football Fancast.

In 2019, I was sponsored by Reach PLC to undertake a master’s in journalism at Goldsmiths, University of London — a return to the newsroom after three years with the company in a commercial role. That early experience, sitting at the intersection of editorial and marketing, has shaped the way I approach digital publishing today.

In 2020, I launched Attaboy, an independent magazine looking to reframe ideas of modern masculinity and address a few long-standing gaps in the men’s media space. I’ve had formal training in media law, and I’m confident working with tools like Photoshop and InDesign when the job calls for it.

Attaboy! •

Attaboy! Issue 1

Founded in May 2020, Attaboy specialises in life, culture and sports content that challenges the notion of masculinity. We believe that masculinity cannot be defined. To be a man is not necessarily to be strong, stoic and assertive.

We want to confront masculinity as a social construct through the exploration of race, gender and queer identities in society.

Inside our print edition, you won’t find any adverts for Rolex watches or sultry photoshoots that objectify women. Instead, you will read content that empowers men to be nurturing, caring and compassionate.
Attaboy! •

Dear England review: The perils of a political football

James Graham’s Dear England, which opened at The National Theatre in June 2023, follows the trials and tribulations of the England men’s football team between 2016 and 2022, amidst a backdrop of Brexit, Covid and identity politics.

It’s a promising premise for a play, presenting the state of a nation through the lens of the beautiful game. Despite this, I have always found football’s inability to translate to stage or screen, aside from one or two notable exceptions (The Damned United, Bend It
Attaboy! •

A virtual reality called FIFA, it’s in the game

Read about one man's total immersion into a football simulation game, thanks to an unlikely endorsement from the World Health Organisation.

As the U.K. initiated lockdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) backed an initiative entitled #PlayApartTogether. This was in late March, and the scheme urged people to stay indoors and play video games.

Ironically, the W.H.O. classified ‘gaming disorder’ or video game addiction as a disease just over a year ago.

As
The Drinks Business •

Why raising taxes on wine won’t solve the UK’s drinking problem

If there’s one thing we Brits excel at, it’s a contradiction. We queue religiously yet love to complain about the waiting. We champion free speech yet deplore those with opposing views. And now, we drink less than ever, yet alcohol-related deaths have reached record levels.

For all the handwringing in Westminster about the perils of alcohol, the numbers tell an awkward story. In 2023, the UK registered 10,473 alcohol-specific deaths, yet alcohol consumption has been on a steady decline, especia...
The Drinks Business •

Medieval Wine Tour of London: a Bacchic binge through time

London: a city of soaring ambition, blue-eyed boys in finance, and – in the 14th century – a place where one could be legally force-fed soured wine as a punishment for tampering with the nation’s most sacred import. 
Dr Matthew Green’s Medieval Wine Tour of London is an intoxicating romp through the city’s oenological past, a masterful blend of history, theatre and just the right amount of alcohol to make medieval hygiene standards seem tolerable.
While modern Londoners associate alcohol with mi...
The Drinks Business •

How the wine industry is addressing labour standards in vineyards

As scrutiny of vineyard labour practices intensifies, James Bayley explores how the Champagne region — led by Comité Champagne — is working with state authorities, growers and service providers to strengthen protections for seasonal workers and uphold the industry’s reputation.

While seasonal work is a long-established and essential part of viticulture, evolving expectations around social sustainability have prompted producers and institutions alike to reassess not only their responsibilities b...
The Drinks Business •

Lifting spirits: Aidy Smith on building an inclusive drinks industry for all

In a world where the drinks trade often clings to tradition with the same devotion it gives to terroir, Aidy Smith is inviting the industry to rethink what inclusivity really means. Speaking to the drinks business, the broadcaster, journalist and digital creator reflects on why so many people still feel unwelcome in wine and spirits — and what he’s doing to change that.
Best known for The Three Drinkers on Amazon Prime, Smith has become a familiar face in global drinks media — but it’s his work...
MyLondon •

Arsenal, Spurs, West Ham costing Met millions on matchdays but paying a fraction

London’s football clubs paid less than four per cent of the £8m it took to police football matches in the capital last season.

The clubs paid just £270k of the cost because of legislation which means they are only expected to pay a fee for policing inside the stadium and on their land, resulting in the taxpayer picking up the hefty £8m bill (a lower sum compared to previous seasons due to the pandemic).

The figures were obtained by My London through an FOI request.

For more news and features
Harpers •

The Comfort of Another Round

The Comfort of Another Round

Thomas Vinterberg’s tale of midlife crisis, Another Round, begins with a booze-fuelled lakeside run that features beautiful teenagers sprinting and drinking in total abandonment.

Like it or not, alcohol brings people together – it is a facilitator for love and friendship. According to Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skårderud, it also unlocks man’s potential. He suggests that humans are born with a blood alcohol level that is 0.05% too low (the equivalent of 1-2 glasse
Attaboy! •

Brexit and other daddy issues

United by lockdown but divided by Brexit, this first person feature explores the relationship between a son and his father in strange circumstances.

Families invariably fall out, but when politics is the cause of that rift things go up a notch. To disagree with your loved ones on how the world should be ordered conjures up all sorts of emotions, as many have discovered since lockdown.

After the Brexit referendum result, I couldn’t bear to look at my father. As a family, we epitomised the UK’s
Attaboy! •

Ten classical pieces to listen to before you’re 30

The latest instalment of our 'before you're 30' series concerns classical music. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but a browse of our list below could inspire a new lifelong passion, or elevate your pub quiz game.

For a lot of newcomers to classical music, film scores have been a useful gateway. Spotify is awash with “workout” playlists featuring the music of Hans Zimmer, a composer so mainstream, he is now a regular on the music festival circuit.

Lockdown is the perfect time to become more acq
AS Roma Offical •

A tribute to one of football’s few remaining greats

Football in Italy is a religion and its home is Rome. This, much to the dismay of Lazio fans, makes Francesco Totti a God amongst men.

The Italian is one of the finest players of his generation but one who has always resisted the temptation to leave Roma to earn more money with another team.

Totti is Roman through and through - the King of Rome in the eyes of many.

Even at the ripe old age of 39, he remains the self-proclaimed persecutor of Lazio with the strength of a soldier and the strut o
Attaboy! •

Diego Maradona Review

During the lockdown, many of us have had to adapt to life without football. Thankfully, we are in the midst of a golden age for sports documentaries, and Diego Maradona by Asif Kapadia is as good as it gets.

Kapadia has produced the most significant portrait of a footballer ever committed to screen. Using a treasure trove of archive footage we meet Diego, a shy mummy’s boy confined to a shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. He has nothing to offer but his capacity for resilience and burg