Publicist Katie Phillips has died.
Phillips was a widely respected publicist in the comedy industry, founding the agency KPPR. She handled publicity for major acts including Ricky Gervais, Julian Clary and Tim Key and high profile shows including Have I Got News For You.
Agency director Tom Baxter-Wise broke the news. "It is with immense sadness that KPPR today announces the passing of our incredible founder Katie Phillips.
She died yesterday (Wed 27th Nov) after some weeks spent back in hospital, following her thyroid cancer diagnosis nearly three years ago, in February 2022.
We will forever be astounded by the consistently positive and forward-thinking way that Katie decided to approach her illness. Not least by setting up her wonderful podcast '
Talking With Cancer'. As so many people have already said about Katie, she was the bravest person we knew.
Starting her career in the early 2000s as part of the Pleasance press office at the Edinburgh Fringe, she went on to work for The Sarah Mitchell Partnership and The PR Office, before founding her own entertainment publicity agency, Katie Phillips PR, in 2011 (now KPPR). In her time as KPPR's leading light, she represented the great and the good of comedy, TV and entertainment.
She was, quite simply, a brilliant publicist and boss. Assertive and uncompromising, whilst at all times kind, funny and empathetic. She has left a lasting impact on the comedy and entertainment industry, and all who worked with her closely for so many years.
It is a very sad day for us here at KPPR, but her name and legacy will be the beating heart of everything that we continue to do. We learnt from the best and we are so very proud of her.
All of our thoughts are with her husband Dinc, step-daughter Alara, family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. She will be so greatly missed by all.
Thanks all and keep dear Katie in your thoughts this evening.
Tom."
In 2022 Phillips (pictured) launched the podcast Talking With Cancer with Clair Whitefield, having been diagnosed with a type of thyroid papillary cancer known as hobnail, with a ROS1 fusion. The doctors said that her diagnosis was “rare” and “complicated” – not words that Katie wanted to hear in the same sentence.
In the early weeks following her diagnosis, she decided to keep an audio diary of her journey and thought of doing a podcast with her good friend Clair, who did not have cancer, on the basis that “one in two of us will experience cancer in our lifetime”.
Phillips said at the time: “I wanted to keep a record of what I was going through because I thought time would move fast and I’d forget what was happening week to week. I also thought, rather than relaying my progress to all my friends and family one by one, which I found exhausting and stressful, I would send them a recording each week of my conversation with Clair. I find our chats really cathartic. I look forward to our conversation and I always feel I can close the week’s chapter once we’ve spoken. Clair is just brilliant at guiding the conversation and making me feel understood and in safe hands”
KATIE PHILLIPS, 1978 - 2024
