Lucy Siegle

Lucy Siegle
Born (1974-11-08) 8 November 1974
Chester, England, United Kingdom
Residence Devon, England, United Kingdom
Occupation Journalist, author, broadcaster
Spouse(s) Ben Siegle (m. 2000)

Lucy Siegle (born 8 November 1974) is a British journalist and writer on environmental issues. She is a reporter on The One Show.

Career

Writing

After working for a textile company in South London, Siegle joined the Observer magazine (then Life magazine) as an administrator in 2000. She has said she had no ambitions to write at the time but that the editorial team nurtured her ability and were enthused by her interest in environmental issues. She wrote her first feature in 2001 on London's new Civil Partnerships and then has gone on to write hundreds of articles, features and op ed pieces for the Guardian group, among other publications on themes of environmental and social justice. Stories include travelling with the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow warrior and investigating the leather industry[1]

In 2004, Siegle went freelance, editing a section for Marie Claire UK magazine and became a columnist on ethical living for the Observer The Observer[2] The column has run without interruption to the present day and is a unique presence in the British media. Online it is published by the Guardian.

Siegle has written a number of books including Green Living in the Urban Jungle (Green Books 2001), A Good Life (Guardian books, contributing author) and To Die For: is fashion wearing out the world? (Fourth Estate 2011).

Siegle's book, To Die For was nominated for the Orwell Prize 2012, is credited with being the go-to text on the modern day fashion industry's ecological and human footprint. It forms the basis of the 2015 documentary The True Cost, by director Andrew Morgan. Siegle appears in the movie and was one of the executive producers.

Television

Siegle is known as a reporter on the nightly BBC One programme The One Show. She is one of the longest serving cast members, joining in 2007. In 2009 and 2012, Siegle stood in as co-presenter of The One Show on several occasions, presenting from the studio with Adrian Chiles, Chris Evans and Matt Baker.

In 2012, when The One Show took its summer break, she co-presented The One Show: Best of Britain with Matt Allwright, looking back at some of the highlights of the show.

In the UK she is also the go-to environment expert for Sky News and Good Morning Britain. She was a contestant on the BBC's Pointless Celebrities.[3]

Siegle is known as a debater and public speaker, particularly on environmental and social justice. She has chaired several debates on the fashion industry in the House of Commons and House of Lords[4] taken part in main stage debates at the Royal Society [5] and in 2016 interviewed both Dame Vivienne Westwood [6] and Stella McCartney live on stage, the latter as part of the Kering sustainability Awards in London [7] In December 2016 she hosted the APSE in Blackpool.

Fashion

Siegle is credited with kickstarting and popularising the ethical fashion movement in the UK but is deeply critical of large fast fashion brands pretending to be ethical. She has said the whole UK movement is in danger of being co-opted and bought up by big brands and has been particularly critical of clothes recycling initiatives. [8]

Siegle is credited by friend and colleague Livia Firth with devising the Green Carpet Challenge (now run by Firth and her Eco Age brand). Together Firth and Siegle attended the 2011 Oscars to promote sustainable fashion and have worked on other events such as the Met Ball and the Golden Globes and BAFTAs.

Siegle has also directed a short film, Green Cut, on sustainable fashion that was screened at the 2012 London Film Festival and sponsored by Amex. [9]

In 2014, Siegle travelled to the Brazilian Amazon and on her return, established a project with Livia Firth and luxury brand Gucci to produce zero deforestation handbags.[10]

Personal life

Siegle was born near Chester in the UK to an Irish father and Liverpudlian mother. She attended 15 schools, moving between the UK mainly the North West and the Republic of Ireland before her family finally settled in Devon.

At the age of 17, she moved to London to study English and Drama at Queen Mary and Westfield and Central School of Speech and Drama, London graduating in 1995.

She divides her time between London and Devon where her family now lives, near the market town of Newton Abbot. In interviews she has said that she is from a big family with many cousins, and most of her relatives in the North West of the UK and Ireland.

Siegle married Ben Siegle in 2000 in an eco wedding at Hazelwood House in South Devon.[11][12]

In 2004 Siegle founded and launched the Ethical Awards which celebrated their tenth anniversary in an awards ceremony at the V&A Museum in London.

Siegle is also a musician, playing the flute to a high standard (above grade VIII) and a former chorister who has performed internationally. In the 1990s she played on a number of house music tracks. She has also worked previously as an actress (between 1995 and 2000).

Publications

  • Green Living in the Urban Jungle. Green Books Ltd, 2001.
  • A Good Life. Co-author. London: Transworld / The Guardian, 2005.
  • To Die For. Fourth Estate, HarperCollins, 2010.
  • Turning the Tide on Plastic. Trapeze, 2018.

References

  1. ↑ Siegle, Lucy (13 March 2016). "Is it time to give up leather?". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017.
  2. ↑ "Lucy Siegle". The Observer. London. 13 February 2006. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  3. ↑ "Journalists, Series 6, Pointless Celebrities – BBC One". BBC. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "Transcript of Fashion Question Time" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "Money can grow on trees: what's good for nature is good for business : Intelligence Squared". www.intelligencesquared.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "Vivienne Westwood – Events – Manchester Literature Festival". www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "Stella McCartney at Centre for Sustainable Fashion Kering Talk 2016, Kering Award for Sustainable Fashion, at London College of Fashion, Frances Corner, Dilys Williams". www.kering.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016.
  8. ↑ Siegle, Lucy (2 April 2016). "Am I a fool to expect more than corporate greenwashing? – Lucy Siegle". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Exclusive: first look at Green Cut fashion project". 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "Handbags at Dawn – Eco-Age". 2 August 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016.
  11. ↑ Siegle, Lucy (20 February 2005). "With this conflict-free diamond, I thee wed". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on 17 September 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  12. ↑ "My Big Fat Green Wedding". forumforthefuture.org.uk. 6 November 2006. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
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