Isobel Lewis

Isobel Lewis is a London-based culture journalist with a career spanning prominent roles at The Independent and Bauer Media. After graduating with a first-class English Literature degree from the University of Manchester, she began her career in 2019 with work experience at Hello! magazine before freelancing for Metro.co.uk, Bustle, and writing features for The Atlantic and The Guardian. She joined The Independent in April 2020 as a culture reporter, where she specialized in stand-up comedy and theatre during the pandemic era, launching the Viral Laughter interview series spotlighting lockdown-era comedians like Munya Chawawa. Lewis became a key voice in comedy journalism, profiling stars like James Acaster and serving as a judge for the Edinburgh Comedy Award. Her theatre criticism expanded post-lockdowns, with extensive West End coverage and Edinburgh Fringe reporting in 2022-2023. In early 2024, she transitioned to Bauer Media as a news and features writer for Grazia, Heat, and Closer, while continuing freelance TV criticism for The AV Club and The New York Times (notably covering Doctor Who). Her work frequently explores niche pop culture topics like Strictly Come Dancing analysis, podcasting trends, and even vehement anti-cranberry sauce advocacy.