Daily Star

Trafalgar House launched the Daily Star on November 2, 1978, to fill a gap in the market for a lighter tabloid that could compete with The Sun and the Daily Mirror. The paper started operations in Manchester using underused printing presses, selling roughly 1.4 million copies on its very first night. It quickly established a reputation for covering celebrity gossip, reality TV culture, and sports news with a humorous tone.

Reach plc now owns the brand after acquiring it from Trinity Mirror in 2010. Under Editor-in-Chief Ben Rankin, who took over in 2015, the publication marked its 10,000th issue in May 2020. The team moved its headquarters to London as the operation grew, though it retains strong roots in the North of England where it originally found its audience.

The brand differentiates itself through what it calls chocolate box journalism, focusing heavily on human interest stories and entertainment rather than hard political reporting. Its digital presence at dailystar.co.uk remains a major hub for viral content, generating millions of interactions across social platforms like X, Instagram, and Facebook. Recent coverage includes high-profile topics ranging from Premier League WAGs to international boxing news. [edit]