Loaded Co-Founder Returns To The Helm

Loaded, the magazine that started the lads’ mag phenomenon, has lost its current editor and regained its co-founder at the same time. Editor Derek Harbinson is leaving to pursue other projects after 18 months in charge and will be replaced by Tim Southwell.

The Loaded style was the brainchild of Southwell and launch editor, James Brown, who has since moved to rival title, GQ. They launched Loaded in 1994 and the title has since gone on to sell over 450,000 copies per issue. After three years, Southwell left IPC Magazines to write Getting Away With It – The Inside Story Of Loaded but has now returned from his ‘sabbatical’.

Commenting on his departure, Harbinson says: “I’ve had a brilliant time on Loaded… But there are other things I want to do in my career and it’s true to the Loaded spirit to go out on a high.”

Southwell says that he is not planning on changing the title’s ‘winning formula’ but adds that, “there’s loads of new stuff I want to do”.

IPC Music & Sport Group managing director, Andy McDuff, says that the group has some ambitious marketing plans for Loaded that will be revealed next year.

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