Career
After doing National Service and studying at Wadham College, Oxford University, where he edited the Cherwell newspaper, Esser began his career as a reporter with the Daily Express and Daily Sketch in 1957. He edited the Express" "Hickey" column, and gave both Nigel Dempster and Paul Dacre their first jobs on a national newspaper. By 1969, he was the newspaper"s New York editor, and was the first British journalist to interview the Apollo 11 astronauts.
He later became consultant editor of the London Evening News, before in 1985 returning to the Daily Express.
In 1986, he became editor of the Sunday Express, a post he held until 1989. Esser moved to the Daily Mail in 1991, where he introduced an arts and entertainment supplement, published on Fridays.
He subsequently became the paper"s Executive Managing Editor, with special responsibility for its website. He has written three books, The Hot Potato (1969), The Paper Chase (1971) and Crusaders In Chains (2015).
