Neale Whitaker has become a well-known face to Australian TV audiences through his regular appearances as a judge on Nine’s THE BLOCK and homeMADE. ‘Who knew magazine editor Neale Whitaker would be this good on TV? He’s emerged as the star of the show with his appearances on the judging panel’ wrote Media Week in 2009 about Neale’s role on interior design reality show homeMADE. With his stern and sometimes challenging demeanor he was a TV natural, but Neale’s honest, encouraging and incisive comments revealed he was no made-for-TV ‘bad cop’ but an industry professional with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Neale has since reprised his role as a judge on THE BLOCK, one of 2011’s top-rating shows, and in addition to his successful magazine career he is currently enjoying a new profile as a public speaker and industry commentator.

Neale Whitaker is also one of Australia’s most respected lifestyle magazine editors, with two decades and two continents of experience. Currently Editor-in-Chief of Australian interior design bible Belle, it was these impeccable publishing credentials that led to him being asked to head the judging panel on homeMADE early in 2009, putting young Australian interior designers through their paces. The following year, executive producers Julian Cress and David Barbour invited Neale to join real estate guru John McGrath as a judge on cult renovation reality series THE BLOCK.

An offer from publishing guru Matt Handbury brought London-born Neale to Sydney in 1999. His first role – as editor of the innovative magazine marie claire Lifestyle – led to regular columns in The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Living and a longstanding role as the Australian correspondent for US Gourmet magazine. Neale also spent five years with FPC (now News Magazines), during which time he edited Vogue Entertaining + Travel and launched the best-selling food magazine delicious - one of the most successful magazine launches in Australian publishing history.

In 2005, Neale’s first book, The Accidental Foodie, was published in Australia and the UK by Murdoch Books. Selling in excess of 20,000 copies, it profiled 23 food personalities, including Jamie Oliver, Terence Conran (Neale’s personal hero), Donna Hay, Bill Granger and Neil Perry.

After studying at Warwick University (and backpacking his way through India), Neale first worked in the offices of London PR guru Lynne Franks, on whom the character of Eddie Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous was based.
Several years as both fashion publicist and stylist eventually led Neale to the publishing world, editing magazines for high-profile retailers Marks & Spencer and IKEA.

While working for publisher John Brown in 1998, he was given the opportunity to launch Food Illustrated, a prestige food magazine that swiftly gathered a global audience and set a new benchmark for food publishing in the UK. During this time Neale was the weekly food and restaurant correspondent on London’s Jazz FM radio.

photo credits:
Yianni Asparadakis, courtesy of Channel Nine
Steve Baccon, courtesy of Belle