‘Bring back Loaded magazine for men like me? No thanks (and I used to be its editor)’

Seeing people saying “we’re bringing Loaded back” feels pretty strange. I’ve always felt it was of its time, the end of the 20th century, and launching then was so intense, personal and all-consuming that this feels like someone bringing the Sex Pistols back with none of the original band members in.

I’ve had to think a lot about Loaded over the last year. My recent memoir, Animal House, which captures that time has been optioned for a documentary due to be broadcast this autumn and yesterday I was watching videos of myself being interviewed in 1995. It was quite unnerving how precocious and confident I was but I understand why.

I was launch editor of Loaded and oversaw the magazine which became a phenomenon from 1994 to 1997. Back then, it felt like we’d struck oil. A genuinely new kind of magazine that broke publishing records, won awards, inspired TV and radio shows and multiple copycat magazines. While everyone thinks we were the original lads mag with all that entails, the original covers were stars of sports, music, screen and comedy, ranging from Will Carling, Kevin Keegan, Gazza, Prince Naseem, Noel Gallagher, Kylie, Sean Ryder, The Simpsons, Vic and Bob, Frank Skinner and Harry Hill.