All about Caroline

Caroline Westbrook has been working for magazines, newspapers, websites and tv/radio since 1990, both in a full-time and freelance capacity. Although she specialises in film and entertainment, Caroline also writes on a variety of other subjects, including technology, home entertainment and history.

Where has Caroline worked?

Caroline started at teen magazine TV HITS in the summer of 1990, and stayed there until early 1994. While there, she interviewed and wrote about most of the leading music, film and television stars of the early Nineties.

After leaving TV HITS in early 1994, Caroline turned freelance, and worked for a number of publications and services, including BBC Newsround’s CEEFAX text pages. Caroline also worked on the programme itself as an assistant producer. During this time she also worked on a freelance basis for the film magazine Empire.

In 1995, Caroline joined Empire as a full-time member of staff. She originally started as a Staff Writer, before rising up the ranks to Reviews Editor and News Editor. Caroline’s role was to ensure the smooth running of her section on the magazine, as well as to write features and reviews, and contribute ideas for all areas of Empire.

During her time as a full-time member of the Empire staff, Caroline interviewed major film stars from the likes of Charlton Heston and Susan Sarandon through to Anthony Hopkins and Minnie Driver. In total Caroline interviewed and met over 100 film stars and movie makers.

In the summer of 2001, Caroline had the opportunity to embark on a freelance career and is now Contributing Editor to Empire as well as being involved with some other ventures detailed below.

Where does Caroline work today?

As well as Contributing Editor to Empire, Caroline works for a number of national and international media outlets. These include the BBC where Caroline works on a number of websites including BBC Three and BBC News Online (on the entertainment desk) as well as the CEEFAX features pages.

Caroline is also a contributor to and co-founder of SomethingJewish - the UK's leading independent Jewish community Web site.

Caroline also writes for a number of other publications including WebActive, TV Monthly and What’s On In London. Since becoming freelance she has also contributed to The Times, Readers’ Digest, Heat, Jewish Chronicle, Skytext, Eve, BBC History Magazine, Sky Customer Magazine and The Business (Financial Times weekend magazine)

What else has Caroline done?

Caroline’s film knowledge and opinions have also appeared on London’s LBC Radio, BBC London, Five Live, BBC World Service and numerous local radio stations.

Caroline’s TV appearances have included Sky News, BBC News 24, CNN Europe, BBC World, ITN’s 24 hour news station ITV News and Five News. She has contributed to a number of TV documentaries including The 100 Greatest Film Stars for Channel 4 and the BBC2 documentary That Thing, talking about the Jim Carrey film The Grinch.

In addition, Caroline has written two books, Brad Pitt: An Illustrated Story and Leonardo DiCaprio: An Illustrated Story for Hamlyn, both of which were translated in several languages and published all around the world. She was a contributor to MacMillan’s Channel Four Film Guide where she wrote over 1,000 100-word reviews. The guide was never published in book form but the reviews are now featured on the Film Four website.

Caroline was also a contributor to the book Moving On Up, in which professionals and people in the public eye revealed more about their mentors and how they have achieved their success in life. The book, edited by Sarah Brown, wife of the Chancellor Gordon Brown, was published in April 2003.

Other publications Caroline has contributed to in the past include Radio Times, Mail On Sunday, Sunday Express Magazine and Time Out. From 1997-1998 she had a monthly Internet column in the Jewish Chronicle, reviewing and rating websites of interest to the readers.

Other info:

Caroline lives in West London with her husband Leslie Bunder. In her spare time, she and Leslie volunteer their time to London-based arts radio station Resonance 104.4FM, hosting a weekly Jewish music show on Sunday afternoons. The show provides an eclectic mix of Jewish music, old and new, from all around the world.