What I do

 

In April 1997 persistence and work experience landed me a staff writer job on my then-favourite VW magazine. A year of unpaid work had paid off; I quit a boring uni degree in London, packed my Dad’s mk2 Granada to the roof rails and headed north to Cheshire. I never looked back . . . apart from to check the trailer was still hooked up.

Automotive journalism has taken me on priceless adventures to all corners of the globe and introduced me to a spectrum of colourful characters from every walk of life – all of which I’m deeply thankful for. Hell, this career even found me wife. Click the links above for a small sample of the memorable features that have helped me become the ridiculously devoted car pervert I am today.

Television

Industrial Junkie

Industial Junkie Quest (2009)

Industrial Junkies is the exciting new series that gets dangerously close to the mechanics and engineering of some of Europe's biggest industries.

http://www.questtv.co.uk/programmes/industrial-junkie

 
Fifth Gear

Fifth Gear Channel 5 (2006 to date)

http://fwd.five.tv/profiles/Johnny_Smith/presented-videos

http://fwd.five.tv/fifth-gear

 
Movies Greatest Cars

Movies Greatest Cars Sky One (2005)

My (unintentional) TV debut as a talking head on this detailed three-hour documentary. At the time I was a working on Emap’s Max Power magazine and the editor was asked to appear on screen to discuss the finest automotive celluloid moments. He wasn’t keen, so signed me up instead. The director seemed to appreciate my endless passion for gassing about Herbie and Bullitt.Sky still regularly re-run this show.

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