Authors

Alan Martin is a freelance writer with more than a decade’s worth of experience, mainly in the technology space. His main focus at Expert Reviews is ensuring that your next pick of phone or wearable is the right choice for you and represents the best possible value for money. In the past he’s covered a broad range of games, dental apparel and pet accessories and, on one memorable occasion, had to strip off to retrieve a rogue drone from a lake – such is his dedication to reviews.

Andy Shaw has been a professional reviewer for 30 years, starting his career critiquing PC games and rapidly expanding his horizons into all types of computer hardware and software. Since then he’s worked for a broad selection of print magazines and websites, as a writer and editor, both on staff and as a freelancer. Nowadays he applies his well-honed critical eye to reviewing a wide range of products, from vacuum cleaners to printers.

When independent film reviewing didn’t scratch his itch for discussing CPUs and bass frequencies, Ben pivoted industries and joined Expert Reviews in 2021. Nowadays, he goes by the title of Reviews Writer and covers all manner of mobile technology and audio products. After getting paid to listen to music and take photos with phones by day, this mild-mannered reporter can be found by night (and other times of day) earning his reputation as our resident comic book nerd or out on the water pretending that kayaking counts as real exercise.

Expert Reviews’ senior digital content producer, Christian is responsible for original photography and video content across the website, getting hands-on with just about every product the site reviews. He also manages the Expert Reviews YouTube, Instagram and TikTok channels, oversees the brand’s social media accounts and writes the occasional product review.

As Senior Home Editor, Danielle heads up Expert Review’s home content. Alongside commissioning and editing, she’s also passionate about testing and reviewing appliances including air fryers, kettles and everything in between. Before joining Expert Reviews back in 2019, Danielle had a five-year-long career as a freelancer, writing for national magazines and websites such as Woman’s Own and At Home Magazine. As well as a decade of writing experience, Danielle is also NCTJ accredited and has an MA in Multimedia Journalism.

A lifelong technology enthusiast, Darien is a regular contributor to both Expert Reviews and PC Pro magazine, specialising in wireless networking, internet security and other technical topics. He also contributes to and produces the weekly PC Pro podcast, and has made occasional appearances on BBC News and Open University programming. In his spare time he dabbles in audio production, and plays guitar, bass and drums with the enthusiasm of a committed amateur.

Eddie joins Expert Reviews as an editorial intern. He assists the team with uploading articles for publication, creating social media content and has written about topics ranging from washing machines to the best SIM card deals on the market. His background is in media, with a degree in Film Studies, having previously worked as an assistant for an independent studio as well as having provided freelance screenplay and book coverage for a number of production companies.

As Lifestyle & Fitness Editor, Ed has spent more than three years testing a variety of products including smartwatches, fitness trackers, headphones, mattresses and everything in between. His near-decade-long journalism career has included a stint on Web User, where he wrote tutorials and reviews on phone apps, PC software, browsers and all things Windows 10.

Outside of work, his passions include photography, cycling, rugby and music. He also found a new love for hiking after walking the iconic Routeburn track in New Zealand in 2019.

Flora’s love of a good deal led her to start freelancing for Expert Reviews back in 2021. Since then, she’s happily tested an eclectic range of lifestyle products from probiotics and neck massagers to sewing machines and standing desks. Outside of writing reviews, she contributes to publications including the Independent, Telegraph and National Geographic.

Alongside his role as commissioning editor, Gareth manages Expert Reviews’ mattress and bedding content: a section of the website he’s worked within since joining in 2020. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism, Gareth has also written about a range of product categories, such as coffee and office chairs.

A Staff Writer at Expert Reviews, Jamie has been with the website since 2022, having started as an Editorial Intern. Pairing writing skills honed while obtaining degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing with his interest in home cooking, Jamie covers kitchen appliances, food and drink and more.

Jane is a freelance journalist who has spent 25 years writing reviews, interviews, and features on subjects ranging from tech crime to teen CEOs. After starting her career in local papers and the music press, Jane joined IPC’s Web User as Features Editor then tackled similar roles at Broadcast, Runner’s World, and Computeractive, finding time in between to write for The Guardian, BBC Radio and, of course, Expert Reviews.

Jo Plumridge is a freelance writer and photographer with almost 25 years of experience writing for a variety of magazines, websites and books. She writes extensively on home and tech products, along with covering photography, interior design and all things sleep-related. Outside of work, Jo fosters cats alongside her husband for a local rescue, giving her plenty of practice in dealing with tricky subjects.

Joanne has been writing about food, drink, health, beauty and wellbeing for ten years. She has contributed to The Independent, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Grazia and YOU Magazine among others and writes regularly on food, drink and home at Expert Reviews. She will test and rate anything from Pinot Noir to vegetable peelers and everything in between.

Jon is an experienced freelance journalist who got his start covering the nascent mobile gaming scene just as the first iPhone came to market. He now covers consumer technology and culture for a range of websites. As well as providing smartphone and tablet reviews for Expert Reviews, he has written for the likes of TechRadar, Trusted Reviews, Tech Advisor, and ShortList.

Head of Reviews

Jon has been tinkering with tech since the days when 128KB was a lot of storage, and games took 20 minutes to load via tape cassette. He’s been smitten ever since, and having decided to forge a career in technology journalism, he’s now been testing, reviewing and dispensing balanced and objective advice for over 20 years. If it’s been released in that time and has some kind of processor, he’s probably tested it.

Julia is an editorial intern at Expert Reviews. She mostly works behind the scenes, uploading articles to the site and posting on social media, though she’s also written a “How to” piece or two. She is a researcher, writer and air frying enthusiast with a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies.

Lise is a freelance writer specialising in beauty, lifestyle, parenting and performing arts. Her dance reviews and features have appeared in online and print publications since 2007, and she was Youth Zone Editor at londondance.com from 2014-15. Lise also managed two local news sites for Associated Northcliffe Digital’s localpeople.co.uk until the closure of the site in 2010. Following appearances in MacFormat, Tap! magazine, Computer Buyer, Den of Geek and PC Pro, Lise joined Expert Reviews in 2018.

Now deals editor at Expert Reviews, Max first joined the website in 2016 and has worked for numerous tech-focused publications over the past 13 years – including PC Pro, The Big Tech Question, Alphr and Wonderpedia – as well as the Daily Mirror, Total TV Guide, TV Choice, Take a Break, the Falmouth Packet and Welt der Wunder in Germany, among others. He’s sifted through thousands of deals on everything from broadband contracts to toothbrushes in his career so he knows what separates a great offer from a bad one.

Since joining the Expert Reviews team in 2016, Nathan’s five-year tech journalism career has taken him from the dizzying heights of steam cleaner testing – as well as the occasional washing machine – to eventually becoming the website’s Senior Editor. In this position, Nathan has tested and reviewed hundreds of smartphones, but he also manages the daily Expert Reviews newsletter.
Outside of work, Nathan enjoys explaining the differences between a macaron and a macaroon, and continues to dip into his life savings with his unhealthy Lego obsession.

As an editorial intern at Expert Reviews, Nicole is involved in all parts of the website, from production to social media and has written on topics ranging from air fryers to radiators. They have also contributed to many literary journals as a writer and editor, and hold a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.

Paddy Maddison is a freelance lifestyle writer with a decade’s experience covering topics around fitness, outdoor pursuits, men’s style and consumer goods. He has been a freelance gear tester for The Independent for the last five years, where he has reviewed everything from high-performance road bikes to running shoes. He’s also a regular contributor to a number of specialist magazines where he writes monthly features on trends in fitness, tech and fashion. His work has appeared in publications including Esquire, Men’s Health, GQ, Cyclist, Stuff magazine and Oracle Time.

Freelance journalist Rachel Ogden began her career writing about parenting before opting to specialise in interiors more than 14 years ago. It’s no surprise that you’ll always find her in the kitchen at parties as she reviews small appliances, homeware and more for Expert Reviews. Partial to strong coffee, soft furnishings and anything fluffy, when not testing and reviewing Rachel enjoys antiquing, running and afternoon teas with fizz.

Sarah joined Expert Reviews as a staff writer in 2022, bringing with her a love of all things beauty and lifestyle. While at work, she can be found testing out the latest hair styling gadgets, hair removal machines, and skincare innovations. Alongside her passion for beauty tech, Sarah has completed the SCS Introduction to Cosmetic Science course, which equips her with a comprehensive understanding of cosmetic formulation, ingredients, and industry regulations. After a long day of writing reviews, Sarah often puts her English degree to good use by settling down to read a good book or winding down with a homemade cocktail.

Senior Editor Sasha started out in the world of tech magazines way back in 2001 and has spent the past two decades working as a writer, reviewer and editor across a range of titles including Computer Buyer, Mobile Computer, PC Pro and Alphr before finally landing at Expert Reviews. While reviewing laptops, PCs and monitors was once a key speciality, Sasha is now more likely to be surrounded by a fleet of coffee machines while consuming unwise quantities of espresso or filter coffee, or researching and writing about large appliances.

Sian Lewis is an award-winning travel and outdoors writer and blogger based in the South West and is a keen hiker, camper and wild swimmer.

Stuart Andrews has been writing about technology and computing for over 25 years and has written for nearly every major UK PC and tech outlet, including PC Pro and the Sunday Times. He still writes about PCs, laptops and enterprise computing, plus PC and console gaming, but he also likes to get his hands dirty with the latest gardening tools and chill out with his favourite movies. He loves to test things and will benchmark anything and everything that comes his way.

Sydney Butler is a technology writer covering a wide variety of tech and science topics. He’s been an IT practitioner for over 20 years, with a background in cyberpsychology and educational technology. He has over 10 years of experience in user education and training. His writing career spans over a decade, with bylines in major online publications such as 9to5Mac, How-To Geek, and Tom’s Hardware. He holds a Masters in Research Psychology, with a thesis in the effects of social media, and minored in Media Science, Journalism, and Communications.

Victoria has been writing about tech and science since her days at WebUser in 2009. More recently she edited the MailOnline’s Science and Tech section, where she broke a story about a caterpillar that looks like Donald Trump, and ran WIRED’s UK website. Her favourite stories are those about batteries, tunnels, language, penguins and maps. If you have a pitch involving all five, you’re onto a winner.