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{{Short description|British magazine}}
{{About|the British magazine|other uses|OK (disambiguation)}}
{{Primary sources|date=January 2008}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox magazine
|title=OK!
|image_file=OK magazine.jpg
|image_size=200px
|image_caption=12 January 2016 cover
|editor3=
|editor_title3=
|editor4=
|editor_title4=
|editor5=
|editor_title5=
|frequency=Weekly
|category=[[Celebrity]]
|publisher=[[Reach plc]]
|firstdate={{start date and age|1993|4}}
|country= [[United Kingdom]] 
|website = {{Official URL}}
}}
'''''OK!''''' is a British weekly magazine that primarily specialises in royal and celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly magazine, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, ''OK''! launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006. In 2005, an American version was launched, followed by an Indian edition in May 2006, a Spanish-language version in Mexico in 2006, a Bulgarian-language version in 2007 and a Spanish edition in 2008.

==OK! global distribution==

===OK! USA===
In 2011, [[American Media Inc.]] bought OK! USA from [[Northern & Shell]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Botelho|first1=Stefanie|title=American Media, Inc. Buys OK! Magazine|publisher=Folio|date=23 June 2011}}</ref> In 2017, former editor James Heidenry stepped down, and was replaced by James Robertson. The Chief Content Editor of American Media, [[Dylan Howard]], oversees the publication.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dool|first1=Greg|title=Us Weekly Editor James Heidenry Out at American Media, Inc.|url=http://www.foliomag.com/us-weekly-editor-out/|publisher=Folio|date=26 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=American Media, Inc. Names Dylan Howard Chief Content Officer of the AMI Celebrity Group|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-media-inc-names-dylan-howard-chief-content-officer-of-the-ami-celebrity-group-300544119.html|publisher=PR Newswire|date=26 October 2017}}</ref>

===Other locations===
''OK!'' is the world's biggest celebrity [[lifestyle magazine]], with more than 30 million readers worldwide, and now appears in 20 countries ([[Australia]] (readership of 158th as of June 2018),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roymorgan.com/industries/media/readership/magazine-readership |title=Australian Magazine Readership, 12 months to June 2018 |department=roymorgan.com |publisher=Roy Morgan |access-date=17 August 2018}}</ref> [[Austria]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Bulgaria]], [[China]], [[Cyprus]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Germany]], [[Greece]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Japan]], [[Latvia]], [[Malaysia]], [[Mexico]], [[Middle East]], [[Mongolia]], [[Pakistan]], [[Romania]], [[Russia]], [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]], [[South Africa]], [[Switzerland]], [[Thailand]], [[Turkey]], [[Ukraine]], the [[UK]], the US, [[Venezuela]] and [[Vietnam]]).{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

''OK!''{{'s}} Australian edition was published by [[Bauer Media Group|Bauer Media Australia and New Zealand]]. In July 2020, Bauer Media's Australian and New Zealand operations were acquired by the [[Sydney]] investment firm Mercury Capital, which cancelled the magazine due to declining advertising revenue and travel restrictions caused by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Doyle |first=Michael |title=InStyle, Elle, Women's Health, Men's Health among Australian magazines axed by Bauer Media |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-21/elle-womens-health-ok-instyle-magazines-axed-by-bauer/12478658 |access-date=4 September 2020 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|date=21 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811093817/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-21/elle-womens-health-ok-instyle-magazines-axed-by-bauer/12478658|archive-date=11 August 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Meade |first1=Amanda |title=Mercury Capital axes eight former Bauer magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Men's Health |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jul/21/bauer-media-australia-axes-eight-magazines-including-harpers-bazaar-elle-and-mens-health |access-date=4 September 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827050944/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jul/21/bauer-media-australia-axes-eight-magazines-including-harpers-bazaar-elle-and-mens-health |archive-date=27 August 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Weddings ==
{{sources|section|date=December 2024}}
''OK!'' is best known for its coverage of celebrity nuptials.

In 2000, ''OK!'' had exclusive rights to publish photographs of the wedding of [[Catherine Zeta-Jones]] and [[Michael Douglas]], but its rival ''[[Hello! (magazine)|Hello!]]'' magazine published pictures as well, and ''OK!'' sued. It was awarded [[pound sterling|£]]1,033,156 in an initial judgment, but lost it on appeal.<ref>Dan Tench, [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/may/23/mondaymediasection13 Photo finish], ''The Guardian'', 3 May 2005</ref>

In October 2005, three celebrity weddings took place on the same day: those of [[Katie Price]] and [[Peter Andre]], [[Kate Garraway]] and [[Derek Draper]], and [[Samia Ghadie]] and property developer Matthew Smith. ''OK!'' covered them all over separate issues. The biggest wedding of the three (Price and Andre) was covered over two bumper issues.

The same happened{{when|date=December 2024}} for the wedding of [[Ashley Cole|Ashley]] and [[Cheryl Cole]], as well as [[Christina Aguilera]]'s. ''OK!'' devoted an issue to photos of [[Tony Parker]] and [[Eva Longoria]]'s wedding.

Other weddings covered by ''OK!'' include:

*[[Natasha Hamilton]] and Riad Erraji (November 2007)
*[[Kerry Katona]] and Mark Croft (February 2007)
*[[Holly Willoughby]] and Dan Baldwin (August 2007)
*[[Steven Gerrard]] and [[Alex Curran]] (June 2007)
*[[John Terry]] and Toni Poole (June 2007)
*[[Kym Marsh]] and [[Jack Ryder (actor)|Jack Ryder]] (August 2002)
*[[Melanie Brown]] and [[Jimmy Gulzar]] (September 1998)
*[[Wayne Rooney]] and [[Coleen McLoughlin]] (June 2008)
*Jack Tweed and [[Jade Goody]] (February 2009)
*[[Patsy Kensit]] and [[Jeremy Healy]] (April 2009)
*[[Kian Egan]] and [[Jodi Albert]] (May 2009)
*[[Samantha Janus]] and Mark Womack (May 2009)
*[[Hilary Duff]] and [[Mike Comrie]] (August 2010)
*[[William, Prince of Wales|Prince William]] and [[Catherine, Princess of Wales|Kate Middleton]] ([[Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton|April 2011]])
*[[Tom Fletcher]] and Giovanna Falcone (May 2012)
*[[Victoria Beckham|Victoria Adams]] and [[David Beckham]] (July 1999)

==Controversies==
{{criticism section|date=December 2024}}

Prior to [[Jade Goody]]'s cancer-related death in March 2009, ''OK!'' sparked controversy by publishing an "Official Tribute Issue" with the front-page captions "In Loving Memory" and "1981–2009," even though Goody was still alive when the issue went to press.<ref>Marina Hyde, [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/mar/21/jade-goody-ok-magazine The Jade obituary issue just shows how deeply OK! cares], ''The Guardian'', 21 March 2009</ref>

In June 2009, ''OK!'' ran another tribute issue, this time for [[Michael Jackson]]. The publication had paid a reported $500,000 for images of Jackson's body being retrieved after his death. The cover photo showed a deceased Jackson on a stretcher, in a neck brace and with an oxygen mask. "It’s a photo that captures the surprise and the upset and the moment of this breaking news story," Sarah Ivens, the magazine's editorial director, said. "I hope the cover will provoke readers."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Moses |first1=Lucia |title=OK! Looks to Cash In on Michael Jackson Death Cover |url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/ok-looks-cash-michael-jackson-death-cover-112752/ |website=www.adweek.com |date=29 June 2009 |access-date=22 July 2020}}</ref>

In 2010, the magazine faced more criticism after running a cover story on [[Kourtney Kardashian]]'s pregnancy. It published a cover photo of Kardashian holding her son, Mason, and claimed to feature an exclusive interview revealing the secrets to her weight loss. Kardashian tweeted in response, "One of those weeklies got it wrong again…they didn't have an exclusive with me. And I gained 40 pounds [18 kg] while pregs, not 26 [12 kg]…But thanks!" She also alleged that the body on the cover was not hers, and that ''OK!'' had Photoshopped her face onto someone else's body.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

''OK!'' was criticised again in July 2013 when it published an issue featuring [[Kate Middleton]] on the same day she left the hospital after giving birth to [[Prince George of Wales|Prince George]].<ref>{{cite news| last1=Driscoll| first1=Brogan| title=OK! Magazine Royal Baby Special: Twitter Outrage Over Kate Middleton's Baby Weight| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/24/ok-magazine-royal-baby-kate-middleton-katy-hill-baby-weight_n_3643234.html| access-date=22 February 2015|work=Huffington Post| date=24 July 2013}}</ref> The front cover of the 30 July issue advertised "Kate's Post-Baby Weight Loss Regime" [sic] and an "exclusive interview" with Middleton's trainer, who claimed that "[Kate's] stomach will shrink straight back" to its previous size.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Martin| first1=Rebecca| title=Kate Middleton Baby 'Weight Loss' Magazine Cover Sparks Outrage on Twitter | url=http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/celebrity/543717/kate-middleton-weight-loss-cover-sparks-outrage-on-twitter.html#index=1&uiSynced=true| access-date=22 February 2015| date=25 July 2013}}</ref> On [[Twitter]] the English TV presenter [[Katy Hill]] tweeted a photo of her own postnatal body and urged fellow mothers to boycott the magazine.<ref>{{cite web| last1=Hill| first1=Katy| title=New Mums. If the @OK_Magazine #Kate cover has made you feel bad, here's me 2 months post baby. YOU MADE A HUMAN! x| url=https://twitter.com/katyhilltv/status/359760199726280705| website=Twitter| access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref>{{primary-inline|date=December 2024}} 

Hill gained support from other women who believed that the story had been posted too soon after Middleton gave birth and felt that ''OK!'' was "pressuring new moms to instantly lose the baby weight."<ref>{{cite news| last1=Nessif| first1=Bruna| title=Kate Middleton's Post-Baby Body: U.K. Tabloid Apologizes for Cover Story on Royal Weight Loss| url=http://ca.eonline.com/news/442475/kate-middleton-s-post-baby-body-u-k-tabloid-apologizes-for-cover-story-on-royal-weight-loss| access-date=22 February 2015| date=24 July 2013}}</ref> The magazine's parent company, [[Northern & Shell]], later issued an apology in a statement published in ''[[The Guardian]]'': "Kate is one of the great beauties of our age and ''OK!'' readers love her. Like the rest of the world, we were very moved by her radiance as she and William introduced the Prince of Cambridge to the world. We would not dream of being critical of her appearance. If that was misunderstood on our cover it was not intended."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |date=24 July 2013 |title=OK! apologises for royal post-birth weight loss regime story |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jul/24/ok-apologies-duchess-cambridge-weight-loss-story |access-date=22 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222071650/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jul/24/ok-apologies-duchess-cambridge-weight-loss-story |archive-date=22 February 2015}}</ref>

==Other media==

''[[OK! TV]]'' was an early-evening magazine program broadcast on [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] as a brand extension of OK! Magazine. It replaced ''[[Live from Studio Five]]'' in February 2011 and was presented by [[Jenny Frost]] and [[Jeff Brazier]], who replaced [[Kate Walsh (presenter)|Kate Walsh]] and [[Matt Johnson (TV presenter)|Matt Johnson]] in August 2011. An [[Celebrity Page|American version of ''OK! TV'']] aired from 2013 to 2016.

''OK! Insider'' is a weekly video podcast about the current issue of the magazine. It is written and presented by [[Layla Anna-Lee]] and [[Lizzie Cundy]] and produced by Simon Withington and is available on the OK! UK website.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Official website|name=''OK!'' Magazine}}

{{American Media}}
{{Northern & Shell}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1993 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Celebrity magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Entertainment magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1993]]
[[Category:Mercury Capital]]
[[Category:News magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Northern & Shell]]
[[Category:Reach plc]]
[[Category:Weekly magazines published in the United Kingdom]]