The Team

Jheni Osman, Editor

In a world where everyone’s an editor, the woman without a prefix is Queen. Jhen’s word is law. Law she enforces with terrifying brutality. But then she makes it all better with a nice cup of milky tea. Jhen’s background in natural sciences and TV journalism led her to take her rightful place on the Focus throne, but only after a knighthood served in the arena of pro tennis.

If you have any thoughts on the mag, get in touch with her at jheni@bbcfocusmagazine.com

Andy Ridgway, Deputy Editor

Andy is our resident Northerner. Pie, chips, whippets and mills are all he ever talks about. But it’s all an act, so don’t let all that ‘ee-bye-gum’ nonsense fool you. He’s actually an aesthete of a level that rivals Brian Sewell. Andy likes nothing more than discussing the inherent beauty of the finer things in life using clipped consonants and elongated vowels, while drinking tea. With his little finger extended, obviously.

If you have a news story for Focus, send Andy an electronic pigeon at andyridgway@bbcmagazines.com

Robert Banino, Production Editor

Rob’s often described as the Keith Richards of the Focus team. If you ask him, it’s because of his ‘elegantly wasted’ demeanour and the unfathomably cool way he takes care of every issue of the mag. On the other hand, it might have something to do with him being completely incapable of acting his age.

If you have anything you’d like to offer as competition prizes, email Rob at robertbanino@bbcmagazines.com

JV Chamary, Reviews Editor

J spent too much time reading comics as a kid and hence grew up wanting to be a superhero. The former scientist would hang around the lab in the hope of being bitten by a radioactive bug — one that would imbue him with special powers. But the fact that he still uses the lift to get to the office, rather than crawling up the side of the building in just a mask and pants, would suggest his plan failed somewhat.

If you have some interesting technology or gadgets you’d like Focus to feature or review, drop J a line on jvchamary@bbcmagazines.com

Daniel Bennett, Editorial Assistant

Dan moved from London to Bristol to join the Focus team and hasn’t so much settled in as gone native. He arrives at the office each morning with a jolly “Awlriight me babber”. He still can’t always find his way around town without staring intently at the maps on his iPhone though (proving that while you can take the boy out of London…). But if he ever runs out of charge, he can always be easily found by his now renowned battle cry of “Cider I up, landlord!”

If you have any forthcoming gadgets, books or events you’d like to see in Focus, drop Dan a line on danielbennett@bbcmagazines.com

Steve Sayers, Art Editor

Steve likes to make a big song and dance about exactly what it is he does, but it amounts to colouring in. He has a wide variety of tools, techniques and styles, and uses everything from finger painting to his full set of crayons to make Focus look so good each month. His biggest ambition in life is to design an issue of the mag using only an Etch-a-Sketch.

If you have any illustrations you think might be suitable for Focus, get in touch with Steve at stevesayers@bbcmagazines.com

Robbie Bennie, Deputy Art Editor

Like many artists, Robbie’s spiritual home is in the café’s of Paris’s famous Left Bank. Not because of his dissident intellectualism or radical political philosophy, but because he relies on regular, carefully controlled doses of caffeine. This minimalist, high-octane diet helps him make a masterpiece of every page he turns his hand to, but it is beginning to affect his judgment. He’s recently developed a penchant for berets and pencil moustaches.

If you have any artwork or illustrations you think might be useful for Focus, contact Robbie on robbiebennie@bbcmagazines.com

James Cutmore, Picture Editor

As Picture Editor, James refuses to communicate using anything other than the medium of photography and illustration. It made for an interesting job interview. We asked him whether he’s an optimist or a pessimist and he gave us a picture of a glass half filled with rain under a cloud with a silver lining. As for previous jobs, he just did a drawing of a kipper, an aubergine, some industrial-strength bleach and a traffic warden’s hat. We didn’t ask any more questions after that.

If you have any photos that may be useful for Focus, contact James (using words) at jamescutmore@bbcmagazines.com

Louise Ridley, Website Assistant

Louise is our newest, and indeed first, Website Assistant. She spends all her time twittering (or is it tweeting?) about in cyberspace. In fact, she's so ethereal that none of us have ever actually seen her in the office, so we began to wonder whether she existed in any tangible sense at all. After tracing a couple of emails, we discovered that Louise is in fact Levon Jebadiah Bewford Jackson. She's a middle-aged trucker making long-haul runs out of Alabama. Her CB-radio handle is 'Hog Greaser'.

If you have any questions about the website drop 'Hog Greaser' a line at louiseridley@bbcmagazines.com