Stuart Maconie was a teacher of English and Sociology before becoming a journalist for the music paper the New Musical Express in 1988. Maconie gained particular notoriety as a champion of the burgeoning Manchester music scene which became such a big part of British popular culture during the late 1980s and 1990s. After establishing himself as a music journalist, he also became a popular broadcaster, presenting his own shows on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music. Since leaving the New Musical Express, he has written for magazines including Q, The Word and the Radio Times, while he has also become a familiar face on television as a humorous commentator on music, culture and life in general.