Music and entertainment PR company the Outside Organisation has confirmed that one of its most high profile publicists, Stuart Bell, has left the company. His departure seems to be rather sudden, and with Outside confirming Bell is now on "gardening leave" it's thought the PR man is planning on launching his own rival agency.
Former record company publicist Bell was perhaps best known for heading up Paul McCartney's PR during his high profile and nasty divorce for ex-wife Heather Mills. He was seen as a heavyweight in the celebrity PR domain, and some had tipped him as a possible future chief at the Outside company when founder and CEO Alan Edwards eventually decides to retire.
The Outside Organisation recently took on Katie Price as a client following her separation from husband Peter Andre and the end of her relationship with the Can Associates management agency, who will continue to work with Andre. The suddenness of Bell's departure is illustrated by reports he had already started to work on the new Price account.