David Hellier is to resign as editor of City AM in a surprise move understood to be prompted by the daily freesheet’s owners.
Co-founder and chief executive Jens Torpe is expected to announce a replacement for Hellier, who was confirmed as editor last October, as early as Tuesday morning.
It was unclear why Hellier, who hosted a sellout awards night recently and had been planning a series of events to mark the newspaper’s 10th anniversary this autumn, had left.
A popular journalist, he joined City AM in 2005 having previously been news editor of the Independent. Before that, the 54-year-old worked for several papers including the Daily and Sunday Express and the Evening Standard. Called “a fucking tosser” by billionaire Philip Green after City AM questioned a mooted political role given Green’s offshore tax status, Hellier replaced Allister Heath, who left to become deputy editor of the Daily Telegraph. Hellier was unavailable for comment on Monday.
The freesheet was founded 10 years ago by Torpe and Lawson Muncaster. Although the company’s directors include a Danish national, two Dutchmen and one Russian, the paper is understood to be keen to take a more Eurosceptic tone.
The company was unavailable for comment.
