Gordon Smart

Smart's career in journalism started at DC Thomson in Dundee where he was employed as a junior reporter on the Evening Telegraph and Dundee Courier in June 1998. He studied journalism at Napier University in Edinburgh.

Unable to find work in newspapers Smart turned to football earning a living coaching for Dutch company Coerver between 2001–02. After a second serious football injury he returned to Scotland to work for Deadline Press and Picture Agency, covering news in the east of Scotland. During the MTV Europe Music Awards held in Edinburgh in 2003, Smart got his big break after a former colleague from DC Thomson introduced him to Victoria Newton, then editor of the Bizarre showbiz column of The Sun newspaper. The introduction resulted in shifts in London which then paved the way for a move to the News of the World on a three-month contract.

Smart joined Bizarre at The Sun full-time in 2004 as Victoria Newton's deputy; when Newton was promoted to head of entertainment in November 2007, he became the column editor. In his opening column for the paper, he formed a 'cabinet' around himself comprising Pete Samson ("Office of the minister of music"), Danielle Lawler and other deputies. Lawler left to join The Daily Mirror as a 3am Girl soon after, while Samson now holds the US Editor position at The Sun.[1]

In 2013, he was a witness to the a helicopter crash at the "Clutha" Pub in Glasgow, which killed 10 people.[2][3][4]

Smart moved to become deputy editor of the Sun in London in May 2016 but left the paper altogether in November 2016 to focus on other business and broadcasting interests.[5]

Smart hosted a show on Global Radio's XFM between 2011 and 2013. He returned to the station, now rebranded Radio X in April 2016 to host a Sunday show. In January 2017 he was confirmed as the new host of the weekday evening show on the station.[6]

In March 2020, Smart briefly left Radio X due to ill health. In September 2020, it was confirmed that Smart would not be returning to the station and his slot was taken over by George Godfrey.[7]

Smart has appeared on The Xtra Factor as a part of the celebrity panel. In May 2010 he appeared on Channel 4's Real Stories discussing the careers of music stars including Cheryl, Rihanna and Simon Cowell with host Dave Berry.[8][9]