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Nichi Hodgson

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Nichi Hodgson
Hodgson in 2016
Born
Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England
EducationUniversity of York
Occupation(s)Journalist, author
Years active2006–present
Partner
Ferdie Ahmed
​
(m. 2020)​
Websitenichihodgson.com Edit this at Wikidata

Nichi Hodgson (born 9 September 1983) is a British journalist, broadcaster, and author. She was one of the first British journalists to court-report via Twitter, covering the 2012 obscenity trial, R v Peacock.[1][2]

Early life and education

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Hodgson was born and grew up in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She was educated at the private Wakefield Girls' High School via an assisted place, a scholarship scheme introduced by the Conservatives and continued by Tony Blair. She graduated from the University of York with a first class honours degree in English and Related Literature in 2006. Hodgson then undertook a National Council for the Training of Journalists diploma in magazine journalism at Harlow College in Essex.[3][4]

Journalism career

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Following internships at the BBC, New Statesman, and the Erotic Review, Hodgson worked in legal journalism at The Law Society, before moving to Standpoint magazine as production editor and contributing writer. While working in the unpaid internships in London, she worked as a part-time dominatrix.[5] During this time she began to freelance for the Guardian, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 2 and Sky News, commenting on gender, civil liberties and technology issues. In 2012, she reported on rival Tokyo Pride celebrations in Japan for the New Statesman, Guardian and BBC Radio. She left Standpoint to go freelance soon after. She wrote the 'Sexual Adventurer' column for Men's Health' which ran until 2016.

Hodgson has written about sexuality and society from a psychological and investigative perspective, covering everything from the science of BDSM,[6] to dating apps that run criminal record checks.[7] She openly criticised a Tory MP who once euphemistically invited her to "tea",[8] before telling her he couldn't take her to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party because of her sex-positive journalism. In 2017, a video of Hodgson debating Men's Rights Activist Mike Buchanan on Kay Burley's Sky News show went viral when Buchanan failed to respond to her statistical evidence of discrimination against women. Buchanan conceded that one path to equality would be for men to do women's housework.[9]

Hodgson is a regular commentator on Sky News and frequently dissects the papers on the Sky Sunrise Paper Review, where she was paired with the Telegraph's former Brexit editor Asa Bennett (Hodgson is a vocal Remainer). She was also a regular guest on BBC3, BBC World News, BBC Radio 2 and 4, and Eamonn Holmes' former TalkRadio show. Her documentary, 'Can Porn Be Ethical?' was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015, and she was a guest in an episode of Late Night Woman's Hour alongside Caitlin Moran in 2016. Her radio documentary, 'Being Bisexual',[10] was broadcast in July 2017 on the BBC World Service, for which she was short-listed for the DIVA Journalist of the Year 2018 award. In May 2018 she appeared on The Big Questions calling for a reinvention of sex robots, the use of tech to heal PTSD and trauma, and the potential care of elderly people with AI and robotic assistance. Hodgson has written for the Times business insert Raconteur[11] on health and technology issues, and The Critic magazine on gender and mental health.[12] From 2019, she contributed to ex-Head of BBC News James Harding's new launch, Tortoise Media.[13] Topics covered include the future of contraception and the abuse facing LGBT+ people on dating apps.[14] In September 2019, she hosted the Tortoise ThinkIn on Life in the Porn Age.[15] In July 2019 she appeared in episode two of Romesh Ranganathan's BBC One Show, The Ranganation.[16] In September 2021, Hodgson presented 'Why Bi?' for Virgin Radio,[17] a three-part series on bisexuality.

As of September 2021, Hodgson has been a regular paper reviewer and debater on GB News. She has debated Mike Parry on the topic of food banks[18] and Michael Portillo on Boris Johnson.[19] Hodgson is currently writing a memoir about her experience of psychosis.

Literary career

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Her first book, Bound To You, a BDSM memoir which she wrote in just six weeks, was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2012.[20][21] Her second book, The Curious History of Dating, was published by Little, Brown in January 2017. Spanning a three-hundred-year period, the book looks at the history of courtship and marriage from a feminist perspective, and includes the history of LGBT and mixed race relationships.[22] A review in the Law Gazette described it as a 'pacy, intelligent and authoritative account with bags of wit'.[23]

Personal life

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She is bisexual.[24] Hodgson got engaged to bar chain owner Ferdie Ahmed in January 2019[25][26] and married him at Marylebone Town Hall on 4 November 2020.[27] In August 2022, Hodgson announced she was pregnant.[28] In February 2023, she announced the birth of her daughter.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "It's time to abolish the obscenity law". New Statesman. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Michael Peacock's acquittal is a victory for sexual freedom". The Guardian. 6 January 2012. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Outrage at city blog rant". Wakefield Express. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  4. ^ "A Foundation in Wakefield". Wakefield Grammar School Foundation. 26 November 2015. p. 62. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  5. ^ "From online rants about Wakefield to writing a racy novel – blogger Nichi Hodgson pens her own Fifty Shades". Wakefield Express. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  6. ^ "The science of what excites kinky people doesn't end with armchair psychology". The Guardian. 14 February 2015. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  7. ^ Hodgson, Nichi (26 May 2017). "An app that checks criminal records won't make dating safer". The Guardian.
  8. ^ "By shaming his ex, John Whittingdale has behaved dishonourably". The Guardian. 14 April 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  9. ^ Nichi Hodgson Dominates in Sky News Interview. Daily WTF. 10 May 2017 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "BBC World Service – The Documentary, Being Bisexual". BBC. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  11. ^ Hodgson, Nichi. "Nichi Hodgson, Author at Raconteur". Raconteur. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Author: Nichi Hodgson". The Critic Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Journalism". Tortoise. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  14. ^ jonj (9 June 2019). "Swipe right for prison". members.tortoisemedia.com. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Tortoise ThinkIn – Life in the porn age". Tortoise. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  16. ^ "BBC Two – The Ranganation, Series 1, Episode 2". BBC. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Virgin Radio Pridecast: Why Bi? Episode One on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  18. ^ Food banks are being POLITICISED | Mike Parry and Nichi Hodgson CLASH over Britain's safety net, retrieved 2 May 2023
  19. ^ Michael Portillo and Nichi Hodgson on Boris Johnson's birthday bash and Russia/Ukraine tensions, retrieved 2 May 2023
  20. ^ Hodgson, Nichi (12 December 2012). "The Sun loves Page 3, but it can't stand women on top". New Statesman. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  21. ^ Hodgson, Nichi (18 November 2012). "My BDSM sex memoir, Bound To You is released!". Nichi Hodgson. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  22. ^ Hodgson, Nichi (11 February 2019). "Lonely hearts and holiday flings: a brief history of dating". HistoryExtra. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  23. ^ Reyes, Eduardo (9 February 2017). "Book Review: The Curious History of Dating – from Jane Austen to Tinder". Law Gazette. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  24. ^ Hunte, Ben (23 September 2019). "The bisexuality dating dilemma". BBC News. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  25. ^ Hodgson, Nichi (20 January 2019). "I followed old-fashioned dating advice in real life". BBC Three. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  26. ^ Strick, Katie (27 June 2018). "Jammie Dodgers are back with a twist in London restaurants". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  27. ^ "Nichi Hodgson 📺 on Instagram: "The secret's out - I may have acquired a husband! Mr and Mrs Hodgson-Ahmed, wed 4.11.20"". Instagram. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  28. ^ "Nichi Hodgson 📺 on Instagram: "The secret is out - or rather, very much in! Baby Hodgson-Ahmed, our little daughter, is due late February 2023 😍🤩👶🏽"". Instagram. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Nichi Hodgson 📺 on Instagram: "The most wondrous of days yesterday as Perla Lydia Hodgson-Ahmed made her way into the world some time after 10:39 via a meticulous elective c-section. I can't thank the @uclh staff enough for the calm and careful delivery of our precious daughter. And here's to the man that persuaded me she was a good idea in the first place, @ferdieahmed - I could not love you more ❤️"". Instagram. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
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