Stig Abell

Stephen Abell
Born	Stephen Paul Abell (1980-04-10) April 10, 1980 Nottingham, England
Occupation(s)	Journalist, newspaper editor, radio presenter
Years active	2001–present
Known for	Editor of The Times Literary Supplement; co-host on Times Radio

Stephen "Stig" Paul Abell (born 10 April 1980) is a British journalist, newspaper editor, and radio presenter. He currently co-hosts the Monday to Thursday morning program on Times Radio alongside Kate McCann.

Between 2016 and 2020, Abell served as the editor of The Times Literary Supplement. Prior to that, from 2013 to 2016, he was the managing editor at The Sun. His earlier roles included working as a fiction critic for The Spectator, a reviewer for both Telegraph Media Group and The Times Literary Supplement, and a broadcaster on LBC Radio.

Education

Born in Nottingham, Abell attended the independent Loughborough Grammar School. He pursued English studies at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a double first-class degree.

Career

Abell began his professional journey in September 2001 at the Press Complaints Commission, initially as a complaints officer. Over time, he advanced through different positions and was appointed director on 19 December 2010. In August 2013, he transitioned to The Sun to take on the role of managing editor, which he held until April 2016.

Starting in March 2014, Abell co-hosted a Sunday program on LBC Radio with Sky News presenter Kay Burley, focusing on newspaper reviews and political analysis. From August 2014, he partnered with Petrie Hosken before launching his own Sunday broadcasts in January 2015, later shifting to an afternoon slot in April 2016.

During his tenure at The Sun, Abell attracted criticism for publishing a contentious 2015 piece by Katie Hopkins that called for harsh actions against migrants.

In May 2016, Abell took over from Sir Peter Stothard as editor of The Times Literary Supplement, a position he held until June 2020 when Martin Ivens succeeded him. Additionally, he frequently appears as a presenter on BBC Radio 4's Front Row.

Abell’s debut book, How Britain Really Works, was released by John Murray in May 2018. He joined the founding team of Times Radio in April 2020 as both presenter and launch director. His second publication, Things I Learned on the 6:28, a guide to reading, came out in November 2020. In September 2021, HarperCollins secured a three-book contract through Abell’s representatives, including his first crime novel and a non-fiction work.