View source for Martin Lewis (financial journalist)

{{short description|English financial journalist and broadcaster}}
{{Lead too short|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{about|the English financial journalist and broadcaster|the Welsh television news presenter of similar name|Martyn Lewis}}
{{distinguish|text=[[Paul Lewis (broadcaster)|Paul Lewis]], presenter of the BBC's ''Money Box''}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Martin Lewis
| honorific_suffix   = [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
| image              = {{CSS image crop |Image=Martin Lewis in 2017.jpg|bSize=680 |cWidth=200 |cHeight=250 |oTop=60 |oLeft=290|Location=center}}
| caption            = Lewis in 2017
| alt                = Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis
| birth_name         = Martin Steven Lewis
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1972|05|09|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Manchester]], [[Lancashire]], England
| education          = [[The King's School, Chester]]
| alma_mater         = {{ubl|[[London School of Economics]]|[[Cardiff University]]}}
| occupation         = {{hlist|[[Television presenter]]|[[journalist]]|author|[[entrepreneur]]}}
| homepage           = <span class="url">[http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ MoneySavingExpert.com]</span><!-- [[WP:μF]] to mirror {{URL}} -->
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Lara Lewington]]|2009}}
| years_active       = 1994–present
| known_for          = Founder, editor-in-chief of MoneySavingExpert.com
| television         = ''[[The Martin Lewis Money Show]]'' <br> ''[[This Morning (TV programme)|This Morning]]'' <br> ''[[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]]''
| children           = 1
}}
'''Martin Steven Lewis''' [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] (born 9 May 1972) is an English financial journalist and broadcaster. Lewis founded the website [[MoneySavingExpert.com]]. He sold the website in 2012 to the [[Moneysupermarket.com]] group for up to £87 million. Lewis is currently a presenter for [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], on the morning shows [[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]] and [[This Morning (TV programme)|This Morning]] since 2007. He also presents ''[[The Martin Lewis Money Show]]''.
==Early life and education==
Lewis was born at [[Withington Community Hospital|Withington Hospital]] in Manchester in 1972. His family lived in the Manchester suburb of [[Didsbury]]. While still a child he moved with his family to the village of [[Norley]], near [[Delamere Forest]] in rural [[Cheshire]], where his father was appointed headmaster of Delamere Forest School, a Jewish school for students with special educational needs.<ref>{{Cite news |title=This man can save you £6,000 a year |last=Jardine |first=Cassandra |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3649125/This-man-can-save-you-6000-a-year.html |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=6 January 2006 |accessdate=14 May 2012 }}</ref> His mother Susan Lewis, died following a horse riding accident, involving a collision with a lorry, when he was aged 11.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scullard |first=Vickie |date=27 March 2019 |title=Martin Lewis holds back tears as he relives trauma of losing his mum at 11 |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/martin-lewis-tears-mum-death-16036310 |access-date=25 June 2022 |website=Manchester Evening News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=John |first=Lucy |date=5 April 2022 |title=Martin Lewis: Money expert's heartbreak that spurs him on to help people |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/martin-lewis-23598750 |access-date=25 June 2022 |website=WalesOnline |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Rodger |first=James |date=10 March 2018 |title=Martin Lewis weeps as he opens up on mum's tragic death for first time |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/martin-lewis-weeps-heartbreaking-radio-14392455 |access-date=25 June 2022 |website=BirminghamLive |language=en}}</ref> In later life he became a patron of the children's bereavement charity Grief Encounter and an advocate for [[life insurance]].<ref>{{cite news |title=I admire William and Harry for speaking about losing their mother, says Martin Lewis |first=Francesca |last=Gosling |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/i-admire-william-and-harry-for-speaking-about-losing-their-mother-says-martin-lewis-35698699.html |work=[[Irish Independent]] |date=9 May 2017 |accessdate=1 March 2018}}</ref>
Lewis attended [[The King's School, Chester|The King's School]], an [[independent school]] in [[Chester]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Mr Supersaver's on a mission |last=Taylor |first=Paul |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/236770_mr_supersavers_on_a_mission_ |newspaper=[[Manchester Evening News]] |date=21 February 2007 |accessdate=4 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024032119/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/236770_mr_supersavers_on_a_mission_ |archive-date=24 October 2012 }}</ref> Lewis has stated that he was subjected to [[anti-Semitism]] as a school boy in Chester, remarking that as one of only two Jewish boys in his year he was given the [[nickname]] "Jew" by other pupils.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Martin Lewis says House of Lords rejected his peerage application |last=Weaver |first=Matthew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/23/martin-lewis-says-house-lords-rejected-peerage-application |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=23 June 2022 |accessdate=23 June 2022 }}</ref> He went on to read Government and Law at the [[London School of Economics]] and in 1997 became a postgraduate student in [[Broadcast journalism|Broadcast Journalism]] at [[Cardiff University]]'s Centre for Journalism Studies. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in [[Business administration|Business Administration]] from the [[University of Chester]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 March 2019 |title=Honorary Graduates 2013 |url=https://www1.chester.ac.uk/development-and-alumni-relations-office/your-alumni-community/meet-our-alumni/honorary-graduates-6 |access-date=25 June 2022 |website=University of Chester |language=en}}</ref>
==Career==
[[File:Budget 2012 - Martin Lewis & Jon Sopel for the BBC.jpg|thumb|Martin Lewis in 2012]]
===Early career===
After graduating, Lewis was the general secretary of the [[LSE Students' Union]]. He then went to work in the [[City of London]] for the Brunswick Group, a financial communications consultancy.<ref name="MoneyMan">{{cite web |title=Martin Lewis: Money man |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/martin-lewis-money-man-1829892.html |work=[[The Independent]]|location=London |date=28 November 2009 |accessdate=15 June 2014 }}</ref>
===TV and radio===
After graduating in journalism at [[Cardiff University]], Lewis became a producer for the [[BBC]] Business Unit working on the [[BBC Radio 5 Live|BBC Radio Five Live]] business programmes and as an editor of [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]'' programme business slot.<ref name="MoneyMan" /><ref name="metro">{{cite news |work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|location=UK |date=6 December 2005 |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=500&in_page_id=11 |title=Martin Lewis }}</ref> Lewis then moved to satellite channel ''Simply Money'', fronted by [[Angela Rippon]], where he cultivated his "Money Saving Expert" persona.<ref name="metro" /> From the outset, the channel suffered poor viewing figures and its main backer, Invest TV Resources, withdrew their support in March 2001. Almost all of its 51 staff, including Lewis, lost their jobs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Backers abandon ''Simply Money'' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/mar/28/broadcasting.citynews |accessdate=14 May 2012 |date=28 March 2001 |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Amy |last=Vickers }}</ref>
After the collapse of ''Simply Money'', Lewis contributed to a "Deal of the Week" column in the ''[[Daily Express|Sunday Express]]''. Lewis also presented "Money Saving Expert" slots on [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]]'s daytime show, ''[[Open House with Gloria Hunniford]]''.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} Lewis returned to the BBC to work as a business and personal finance reporter for the corporation's BBC One ''Breakfast News''.<ref>{{cite news |title=BBC Business Report 2001 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1421754.stm |accessdate=3 September 2006 |date=4 July 2001 |work=[[BBC News Online]] }}</ref> In 2005, Lewis presented a daytime television series on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] called ''Make Me Rich'' and in 2008 a [[prime time|peak time]] programme on [[Channel 5 (UK)|Five]] called ''[[It Pays to Watch!]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=''It Pays to Watch'' website |url=http://www.itpaystowatch.co.uk |accessdate=23 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080530021358/http://www.itpaystowatch.co.uk/ |archive-date=30 May 2008 }}</ref> Lewis has also presented money special editions for ITV's ''[[Tonight (1999 TV programme)|Tonight]]'' and has featured as a "Money Saving Expert" on several other magazine programmes including ''[[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]]'' and ''[[Lorraine (TV programme)|Lorraine]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Kershaw |first1=Tom |last2=Sharma |first2=Sonia |date=24 August 2022 |title=Martin Lewis confirms permanent slot on Good Morning Britain |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/money-saving-expert-martin-lewis-24840323 |access-date=25 January 2023 |website=ChronicleLive |language=en}}</ref>
Lewis currently appears on ITV's ''[[This Morning (TV programme)|This Morning]]'' and as an occasional guest on other news and magazine programmes. In 2012, he began co-presenting ''[[The Martin Lewis Money Show]]'', initially with [[Saira Khan]], and more recently with [[Angellica Bell]]. He also appeared weekly on the ''Emma Barnett Show'' on [[BBC Radio 5 Live|BBC's Radio Five Live]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 5 Live - The Martin Lewis Podcast - Downloads |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02pc9xt/episodes/downloads |access-date=25 January 2023 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> In June 2020 he was a guest on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Desert Island Discs]]''.<ref name="BBC-Desert">{{cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 – Desert Island Discs, Martin Lewis, financial campaigner |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jtmg |publisher=BBC |accessdate=7 June 2020}}</ref>
In December 2022, Martin Lewis appeared with [[LadBaby]] on their Christmas charity single, "Food Aid", a [[parody|spoof]] of [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]]'s 1984 charity single [[Do They Know It's Christmas?]]. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/ladbaby-release-new-christmas-single-food-aid-martin-lewis-b1047736.html|title=LadBaby release new Christmas single Food Aid with Martin Lewis|publisher=Evening Standard|first=Vicky|last=Jessop|date=16 December 2022|accessdate=16 December 2022}}</ref>
===Money Saving Expert===
{{main|MoneySavingExpert.com}}
In October 2002 Martin appeared in the Meridian Trust's (now Public Service Broadcasting Trust) live Spotlight Programme "Save yourself a fortune" on [[ITV Meridian]] as their Money Saving Expert for the first time. The programme subsequently won the [[Royal Television Society]] Educational Award – 2002 Campaigns and Seasons.<ref>{{cite web|title=Educational Television Awards 2002|url=https://rts.org.uk/award/educational-television-awards-2002|website=Royal Television Society|date=24 January 2011 |accessdate=24 August 2016}}</ref>
Lewis created and runs the website MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), which was originally designed for a cost of just £100 in February 2003.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/martin-lewis-sells-moneysavingexpertcom-for-87m-7810705.html |title=Martin Lewis sells MoneySavingExpert.com for £87m |first=Ellen E |last=Jones |work=The Independent|location=London |date=1 June 2012}}</ref>
In September 2012 he sold the website to the [[Moneysupermarket.com]] group for up to £87m but remained editor-in-chief. The deal saw Lewis receive £35m cash up front in addition to 22.1m shares in Moneysupermarket.com and £27m in future payments.<ref name="BBC: sells MSE.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18295587 |title=Martin Lewis sells MoneySavingExpert.com for £87m |work=[[BBC News Online]] |date=1 June 2012 |accessdate=29 December 2015 }}</ref> He simultaneously announced his intention to give £10m to charity, of which £1m would go to [[Citizens Advice]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Emma |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/9304842/Martin-Lewis-sells-MoneySavingExpert-website-for-87m.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602030938/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/9304842/Martin-Lewis-sells-MoneySavingExpert-website-for-87m.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 June 2012 |title=Martin Lewis sells MoneySavingExpert website for £87m |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=1 June 2012 |accessdate=1 June 2012 }}</ref>
In July 2015 Lewis sold just over half his shareholding in Moneysupermarket.com, obtained in the sale of Money Saving Expert, for £25.2 million.<ref name="guardian-20150731">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/31/saving-expert-martin-lewis-sells-25m-moneysupermarket-shares |title=Martin Lewis nets £25m after selling Moneysupermarket.com shares |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |agency=Press Association |date=31 July 2015 |accessdate=1 August 2015}}</ref> On the back of this he gave a further £1m to Citizens Advice and £500,000 each to [[The Trussell Trust]] and the Personal Finance Education Group to fund financial triage and education work.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/foodbanks-to-start-offering-financial-and-debt-advice-after-martin-lewis-donation-a6714771.html |title=Foodbanks to start offering financial and debt advice after Martin Lewis donation |first=Ashley |last=Cowburn |work=The Independent|location=London |date=31 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Hattenstone|first=Simon|date=22 June 2020|title=Martin Lewis: 'Having money is not happiness, but not having money destroys lives'|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/jun/22/martin-lewis-having-money-is-not-happiness-but-not-having-money-destroys-lives}}</ref> In 2018 Lewis started legal action against [[Facebook]] for defamation over fake adverts using his face and name, mostly promoting 'bitcoin' and 'investing'. He later dropped the action after Facebook agreed to fund an anti-scam project.<ref>{{Cite news|date=28 February 2020|title=Martin Lewis calls for publishers to act over fake news ads|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/feb/27/martin-lewis-calls-for-publishers-to-act-over-fake-news-ads-mail-online|access-date=23 July 2020|work=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>
===Columnist===
Lewis has a fortnightly column in ''[[The Sunday Post]]'' and a regional syndicated column in ''[[The Yorkshire Post]]'', the ''[[Manchester Evening News]]'' and the ''[[Express & Star]]'' amongst others. He has been a columnist for ''[[The Sunday Times]]'', ''[[News of the World]]'', ''[[The Guardian]]'' and the ''[[Daily Express|Sunday Express]]''. All his columns are on the theme of saving money.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}
==Controversy==
===Unauthorised business promotion===
In 2010 Martin Lewis was a presenter on ''[[Lorraine (TV programme)|GMTV with Lorraine]]'', a weekday morning chat show. The programme includes a regular feature called 'Deals of the Week'. [[Ofcom]] investigated a complaint that the programme promoted MoneySavingExpert.com, a website owned and run by Lewis as a commercial enterprise. Lewis denied any wrongdoing and continues to do so. However the [[Ofcom]] report concluded: "By inviting viewers to obtain further information and vouchers on the GMTV website, and then re-directing them to Martin Lewis' commercial website to obtain that information, the programme was effectively promoting his business. As a result of this promotion, the programme was in breach of Rule 10.3 of the Code."<ref>{{Cite news|title=GMTV Deal Feature Broke Broadcasting Rules|url=https://news.sky.com/story/gmtv-deal-feature-broke-broadcasting-rules-10489255|access-date=9 October 2020|work=Sky News|language=en}}</ref>
==Campaigns==
===Bank charges===
In late 2005, campaigns against what were claimed to be unfair [[bank charge]]s gained momentum and a few small websites started to highlight the issue. Lewis was at the forefront of the media campaign to reclaim what he states are unfair and [[UK default charges controversy|unlawful]] fees charged by UK banks. He presented the first mainstream television programme on how to reclaim bank fees ([[ITV (TV channel)|ITV1]]'s ''Tonight'') and in November 2006 published a step-by-step guide, including template letters as well as regularly appearing across the media to champion the issue.<ref>{{cite news|title=From banks to football, the consumers' revolt grows |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2296831.ece |accessdate=22 February 2007 |work=[[The Independent]]|location=London |first1=Martin |last1=Hickman |date=23 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225084842/http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article2296831.ece |archive-date=25 February 2007 }}</ref>
His campaign suffered a major setback in November 2009 when the [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]] ruled that the charges imposed by banks formed part of their fees for current account services and could not be assessed for fairness under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Court rules in favour of banks on charges |work=[[Reuters]] |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5AO17X20091125?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10174 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201044559/http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5AO17X20091125?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10174 |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 February 2013 |accessdate=25 November 2009 |date=25 November 2009 }}</ref> Lewis, along with other consumer groups, hired Ray Cox QC (a barrister with previous experience of banking cases)<ref>{{cite web |title=Ray Cox QC Biography |publisher=Fountain Courts |url=http://www.fountaincourt.co.uk/raymond-cox-qc/ |accessdate=2 December 2009 }}</ref> to look into new legal arguments for account holders wishing to reclaim charges, which might possibly use regulation 5 of the Unfair Terms Act as suggested by the Supreme Court Judgement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Overdraft charges: it's not over yet, says Martin Lewis |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/6653435/Bank-charges-its-not-over-yet-says-Martin-Lewis.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129080606/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/6653435/Bank-charges-its-not-over-yet-says-Martin-Lewis.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 November 2009 |accessdate=2 December 2009 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Richard |last=Evans |date=25 November 2009 }}</ref>
This attempt suffered a further setback when, on 22 December 2009, the [[Office of Fair Trading]] (OFT) issued a statement saying that it had decided against taking forward such an investigation because it "would have a very limited scope and low prospects of success".<ref>{{cite web|title=OFT announces decision and next steps on bank charges |url=http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2009/144-09 |publisher=[[Office of Fair Trading]] |accessdate=14 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125065755/http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2009/144-09 |archive-date=25 January 2010 }}</ref> Lewis published updated template letters allowing individuals to attempt to recover bank charges on financial hardship grounds on 2 February 2010,<ref>{{cite web |title=Martin's Money Tips Weekly Email, 3 February 2010 |date=3 February 2010 |url=http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips/03-02-2010/ |work=MoneySavingExpert.com |accessdate=23 February 2010 }}</ref>
and information regarding claims on legal grounds made via courts was published on 24 February 2010.
===Energy bills===
In summer 2008, Lewis appeared on several television and radio programmes exhorting consumers to "cap your energy bills now", based on the prediction that there would be a further round of price increases at the end of 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Power price hike |url=http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=30234 |publisher=[[GMTV]] |accessdate=1 February 2009 |date=7 August 2008 |quote=GMTV's Martin Lewis said: "EDF is the first of the big six suppliers to announce a price rise. Once one provider puts its prices up, the others normally follow within five to six weeks, as they operate a herd mentality. I urge everyone to cap their tariffs at the cheapest possible rate as soon as possible. <span style="color: #666;">¶</span> By that, I mean today or tomorrow and no later. You can still lock in cheap prices if you do it straight away, but cheap caps are vanishing faster than a rabbit at a greyhound track. Do remember that this is only the first round of rises; expect another round in December or January, if not earlier – this is why fixing's so important." }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>  "Capping prices" involved consumers locking themselves into rates higher than prevailing un-capped rates.  After that point British Gas announced an increase of 30% on its un-capped prices, though in January 2009 UK energy companies' un-capped prices were reduced by up to 10%.
Information published by [[uSwitch]], a price comparison site whose business motivation is to encourage frequent switching between energy suppliers, after the price cuts, in February 2009, suggested that "Those who were savvy enough to sign up to a competitive fixed-price plan last summer, before some increases in wholesale energy were passed on, are sitting pretty as prices would need to drop by 16% on average before it would be worth moving"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer_affairs/article5732169.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602043548/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer_affairs/article5732169.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 June 2010 |title=Leaving a fixed deal could save you money |work=[[The Times]] |date=15 February 2009 }}</ref> but failed to be clear about which specific capped deals it was basing this assertion on, and when it was sensible to have committed to a capped rate deal.
===Student finance===
In 2011, Lewis launched the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information with former [[National Union of Students (United Kingdom)|National Union of Students]] president [[Wes Streeting]] and backed by the [[Department for Business, Innovation and Skills]], to provide information to potential students about the changes to [[Tuition fees in the United Kingdom|tuition fees]] and [[Student loans in the United Kingdom|student loans]] resulting from the [[Browne Review]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-student-finance-taskforce-launched |title=New student finance taskforce launched |publisher=Department for Business, Innovation and Skills |date=17 June 2011}}</ref> After subtle changes to student loan repayments were announced in the [[Autumn Statement]] of 2015, Lewis appealed directly to the Prime Minister and engaged lawyers to investigate. He said that freezing the repayment threshold would represent a retroactive hike in student loan costs that could "destroy any trust" that students have in the student finance and political systems.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/borrowing/12093680/Martin-Lewis-appeals-directly-to-David-Cameron-in-letter-on-student-loans.html |title=Martin Lewis appeals directly to David Cameron in letter on student loans |first=James |last=Connington |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=15 January 2016}}</ref>
===Mental health and debt===
In 2016, Lewis launched and provided funding for the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, a [[think tank]] directed by former Liberal Democrat adviser [[Polly Mackenzie]] to study the link between [[mental health]] issues and debt.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/05/mental-health-debt-crisis-martin-lewis-polly-mackenzie |title=Mental health and debt crisis: we have to act, say thinktank founders |first=Jessica |last=Elgot |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=5 March 2016}}</ref>
===Others===
Lewis' other large-scale campaigns, with ensuing television programmes, include refunds for missold [[payment protection insurance]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Independent]]|location=London |title=£4bn protection racket |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/the-banks-1634bn-protection-racket-770621.html |accessdate=20 January 2007 |first1=Martin |last1=Hickman }}</ref> Between January 2011 and December 2019 UK banks paid £38.3 billion in compensation for millions of fraudulently sold policies.<ref><!-- "£38.3 billion": -->{{cite web |url=https://www.fca.org.uk/data/monthly-ppi-refunds-and-compensation|title=Monthly PPI refunds and compensation |publisher=[[Financial Conduct Authority]] |date=29 April 2021<!--last update-->|access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref><ref><!-- "millions": note this source quotes Lewis -->{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/mar/02/just-one-in-five-complaints-about-potential-mis-sold-ppi-made-so-far |title=Just one in five complaints about potential mis-sold PPI made so far |first=Julia |last=Kollewe |date=2 March 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref>
==Honours and recognition==
Lewis became a Governor of the [[London School of Economics]] in 2008. He was appointed [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the [[2014 Birthday Honours]] for services to consumer rights and to charitable services through the MSE Charity Fund<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60895 |date=14 June 2014 |page=b13 |supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Queen's birthday honours list 2014: OBE |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jun/13/queens-birthday-honours-obe |date=13 June 2014 |work=[[The Guardian]] }}</ref> and promoted to [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2022 New Year Honours]] for services to broadcasting and consumer rights.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63571|supp=y|page=N9|date=1 January 2022}}</ref>
Lewis was named the Best Personal Finance Broadcast Journalist in 2020 by ADVFN.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ADVFN 2020 International Financial Awards|url=https://uk.advfn.com/awards|access-date=17 July 2020|website=uk.advfn.com}}</ref>
Lewis requested to be created a [[Crossbencher#United Kingdom|crossbench peer]] in the House of Lords but was rejected by the [[House of Lords Appointments Commission]], which encouraged him to apply again in the future. He believes he was turned down due to work and family obligations leaving him with limited time for parliamentary work but a spokesperson for the appointments commission denied the claimed reasons, stating that some very good candidates were rejected.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weaver |first1=Matthew |title=Martin Lewis says House of Lords rejected his peerage application |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/23/martin-lewis-says-house-lords-rejected-peerage-application |website=The Guardian |access-date=23 June 2022 |language=en |date=23 June 2022}}</ref>
In 2022, Lewis won the [[National Television Awards|National Television Award]] for [[27th National Television Awards|Best TV Expert]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffin |first=Louise |date=13 October 2022 |title=Martin Lewis issues warning about cost of living crisis as he picks up NTA |url=https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/13/ntas-martin-lewis-issues-stark-warning-as-he-picks-up-award-17561434/ |access-date=13 October 2022 |website=Metro |language=en}}</ref>
In November 2023, he was ranked number four in the ''[[New Statesman]]'''s Left Power List, described by the journal as "having the casting vote" over who can fix the national economy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statesman |first=New |date=17 May 2023 |title=The New Statesman's left power list |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2023/05/the-new-statesmans-left-power-list |access-date=13 December 2023 |website=New Statesman |language=en-US}}</ref>
In February 2024, Lewis won the ''RTS Special Award'' at the [[Royal Television Society]] Television Journalism Awards 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-television-journalism-awards-2024|title=RTS Television Journalism Awards 2024|website=rts.org.uk|accessdate=29 February 2024}}</ref>
''[[The Economist]]'' magazine has called Lewis "one of Britain’s most recognisable figures" and possibly "the most influential man in British politics". However, writing in 2022, the magazine argued that his money-saving tips had lost their relevance in a world of rising energy prices.<ref name="Economist Bagehot">{{cite news |title=Martin Lewis faces up to a world he can no longer fix |url=https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/04/16/martin-lewis-faces-up-to-a-world-he-can-no-longer-fix |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=The Economist}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Lewis has a sister. His father was Head Master of a Special Educational Needs School in [[Norley]], [[Cheshire]]. His mother was killed following a horse riding accident on 7 May 1984.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 - Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, The Martin Lewis One |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0018nfy |access-date=25 June 2022 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> Lewis married ''[[5 News]]'' weather presenter [[Lara Lewington]] on 31 May 2009.<ref name="Polemical">{{Cite news |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/martin-lewis-storms-out-of-synagogue-over-speaker-s-polemical-shabbat-speech-1.478680 |title=Martin Lewis storms out of synagogue with his family over speaker's 'polemical' Shabbat speech |last=Welch |first=Ben |date=17 January 2019 |work=[[The Jewish Chronicle]] |access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> They have one daughter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ok.co.uk/posts/view/5262/Lara-Lewington-and-Jonnie-Irwin |title=Lara Lewington and Jonnie Irwin |work=[[OK!]] |date=18 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210033627/http://www.ok.co.uk/posts/view/5262/Lara-Lewington-and-Jonnie-Irwin |archive-date=10 February 2009 }}</ref>
Lewis is [[Jews|Jewish]] and practises the Jewish faith.<ref name="Polemical" /><ref name="Round">{{cite web |title=Martin Lewis: the money expert who can save on anything except kosher meat |url=http://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/the-simon-round-interview/80586/martin-lewis-money-expert-who-can-save-anything-except-kos |work=[[The Jewish Chronicle]] |author= Round, Simon| date=13 September 2012 |accessdate=17 January 2019}}</ref>
As of 2021 ''The Sunday Times Rich List'' estimates his net worth at £123 million.<ref name="wealth">{{Cite news|title=Martin Lewis net worth – Sunday Times Rich List 2021|language=en|work=[[The Sunday Times]]|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sunday-times-rich-list-martin-lewis-net-worth-0czlpbhn7|url-access=subscription|date=21 May 2021|access-date=15 June 2021|issn=0140-0460}}</ref>
Lewis is a lifelong supporter of [[Manchester City F.C]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Man City top of the league |url=https://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2007/08/man-city-top-of-the-league/ |work=moneysavingexpert.com |date=21 August 2007 |accessdate=10 November 2023}}</ref>
Lewis has said he 'has dark days,' that his roles cause him stress and that he does not manage stress well.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67702190|title=Martin Lewis: 'I have dark days mental health wise'|date=13 December 2023|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
* (2005) ''The Money Diet: The Ultimate Guide to Shedding Pounds Off Your Bills and Saving Money on Everything!'', [[Ebury Publishing|Vermilion]]
* (ed 2006) ''Thrifty Ways for Modern Days'', Vermilion
* (2008) ''The Three Most Important Lessons You've Never Been Taught: MoneySavingExpert.Com'', Vermilion
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|id=1753039|name=Martin Lewis}}
* {{Official website|http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/}}
===Articles===
* {{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/guardian_jobs_and_money/story/0,,1390453,00.html |work=[[The Guardian]] |title=Proud to be a terrorist |date=15 January 2005 |first=Patrick |last=Collinson}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2103-1964671,00.html |work=[[The Times]] |title=Kings of the Online Jungle |date=1 January 2006 |first=Simon |last=Kurs |archive-date=12 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012090445/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0%2C%2C2103-1964671%2C00.html |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |url=http://money.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,16520,1669063,00.html |work=[[The Guardian]] |title=Cashing in on being a real nerd |first=Patrick |last=Collinson |date=16 December 2005}}
* {{cite web|url=http://money.scotsman.com/scotsman/articles/articledisplay.jsp?article_id=2601719&section=Mortgages&prependForce=SM_ |work=[[The Scotsman]] |title=Martin Lewis moneysaving champ |date=22 March 2006 |first=Martin |last=Lewis |archive-date=10 July 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710103342/http://money.scotsman.com/scotsman/articles/articledisplay.jsp?article_id=2601719&section=Mortgages&prependForce=SM_ |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |url=http://money.guardian.co.uk/creditanddebt/debt/story/0,,1766972,00.html |work=[[The Guardian]] |title=Countdown to a conundrum: Vorderman urged to stop adverts for loan company |first=Patrick |last=Collinson |date=4 May 2006}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.myhammersmith.co.uk/hammersmith&shepherdsbush/celebs&gossip-martin_lewis.htm |work=My Village |title=Martin Lewis interview |archive-date=22 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922203042/http://www.myhammersmith.co.uk/hammersmith%26shepherdsbush/celebs%26gossip-martin_lewis.htm |url-status=dead }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Martin}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Cardiff University]]
[[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]]
[[Category:British business and financial journalists]]
[[Category:British finance and investment writers]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:English columnists]]
[[Category:English Jews]]
[[Category:English television presenters]]
[[Category:People educated at The King's School, Chester]]
[[Category:People from Didsbury]]
[[Category:People from Withington]]
[[Category:ITV people]]