| Matt Chorley | |
| Nationality: | British |
| Education: | Richard Huish College |
| Occupation: | Journalist, broadcaster |
| Known For: | Red Box newsletter and podcast for The Times, and mid-morning political show on Times Radio |
| Spouse: | Alyson |
| Children: | 2 |
| Website: | https://mattchorley.com/ |
Matt Chorley is a British journalist and broadcaster who hosted a live morning politics show, described by him as "politics without the boring bits", on Times Radio.[1] After beginning his career at the Taunton Times, he was a political correspondent for the Western Morning News, the Press Association, and the Independent on Sunday before becoming the political editor of MailOnline. He joined the The Times in 2016. He has won awards for his political podcast and for his book. He is also a regular guest on Have I Got News For You.[2]
In May 2024 it was announced that Chorley would be leaving Times Radio in July in order to take up a new position hosting a daily politics show on BBC Radio 5 Live.[3]
Chorley was born in 1982. He was brought up near Taunton on the Somerset Levels, and attended Richard Huish College; he did not study at a university.[4] He is married to Alyson, whom he met while working for the Taunton Times. The couple have two daughters. The family's pet is a former guide dog.[5]
Chorley started his journalistic career reporting at the now-defunct Taunton Times, and then the Western Morning News.[6] [7] He moved to London in 2005 to work in the House of Commons press gallery for the Press Association,[8]
Chorley joined The Times in 2016,[9] where he edited the Red Box political email newsletter. He then also started presenting a podcast of the same name, also hosted by The Times, which was subsequently renamed Politics Without The Boring Bits in 2023.[10] In October 2023, The Times launched a weekly podcast called How To Win An Election, presented by Chorley and featuring the former political strategists Peter Mandelson, Danny Finkelstein, and Polly Mackenzie as recurring guests.[11]
In June 2020, Chorley stepped back from writing the newsletter, to present the mid-morning slot at the newly-launched Times Radio from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Thursday.[12] [13] In May 2021, he was also given the Friday shift, taking the show to five days a week.[14] In May 2024 Chorley announced his departure from Times Radio, and BBC Radio 5 Live issued a press release stating he will host a weekday afternoons radio show commencing in September 2024.[15]
In parallel to his early journalistic career in Somerset, Chorley formed part of a comedy trio called Big Day Out, alongside friends Lewis Georgeson and William Kenning. When Chorley left Somerset for London in 2005, his decision was influenced by wanting to spend more time focusing on the comedy sketch group, which had already enjoyed sold-out shows in the capital. In 2007, Big Day Out took their comedy show to the Edinburgh Festival.
In 2019, Chorley toured his one-man political comedy show, This is Not Normal, around the UK.[16] In 2022, Chorley toured another show called Who is In Charge Here?[17] In 2024, Chorley toured his third one-man show called Poll Dancer.[18]
In 2023, Chorley published a book titled, Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors: 50 Places That Changed British Politics.[19] The book focuses on unique places outside the traditional corridors of power in Whitehall, that reportedly changed the course of British politics.
At the 2020 Society of Editors' The Press Awards, Red Box won the award for 'best news podcast'.[20] At the 2020 London Press Club, Chorley won 'digital journalist of the year' for his Red Box newsletter and podcast for The Times.[21] [22] In February 2021 Chorley was nominated for ‘radio broadcaster of the year’ at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.[23] In September 2022, he was shortlisted in the category 'broadcaster of the year' at The London Press Club Awards.[24] In March 2023, Chorley was nominated in the 'best speech presenter' category at the Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS).[25] In 2024, the radio show was nominated for 'radio programme of the year' at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.[26]
Chorley's book, Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors: 50 Places That Changed British Politics, won the award for the best 'political book by a non-parliamentarian' at the 2023 Parliamentary Book Awards, organised by the Publishers Association and the Booksellers Association.[27]
Chorley has had a particularly fractious relationship with Andrew Bridgen, the MP for North West Leicestershire, since 2018.[28] In November of that year, Chorley revealed that Bridgen's Conservative colleagues had described him as "spud-u-hate" and “thick as mash”.[29] It is reportedly as a result of this piece that Bridgen refused to vote in support of Theresa May's 2018 Brexit deal at the height of the Brexit negotiations.[30] Chorley has since regularly denounced Bridgen's struggles with the law and with parliamentary standards in his columns,[31] [32] and has described the MP among other things as a “deluded attention-seeker” and “the Conservative MP for North West Bullshitshire”.[33]
Chorley has also extensively spoken of his dislike of cats, and has even campaigned for Larry the Cat to be evicted from Downing Street.[34]