Stefan Rousseau - Chief Political Photographer of The Press Association - The God Cast Interview

About Stefan RousseauFor the past fifteen years, I've spent much of my time travelling with and photographing the Prime Minister of Great Britain. This has taken me to every corner of the world and includes Tony Blair's first visits to Afghanistan, Iraq and later to Libya where he held historic talks with Colonel Gaddafi.In 2009, I became the British Press Awards Photographer of the Year and retained the title in 2010.My career began in 1988 when I started work on a weekly paper in Hertfordshire. After two and a half years of summer fetes, Christmas bazaars and golden weddings I moved to Essex to join a regional press agency and learned much about the highs and lows of national photojournalism.In 1993, the bright lights of London beckoned and after knocking on many doors, I began working for the Press Association.Here on my website are some highlights of the past few years. In this job so many pictures don't get published and never get seen by anyone other than my picture desk. I therefore wanted to show some of those photographs alongside the better known ones.I have started to expand the travel section including sets of pictures from some of the fascinating places I have visited. I intend to increase these portfolios as long as I keep travelling the world.In the Weddings gallery, again I thought it would be nice to show what are quite often very natural and revealing pictures. There is so much emotion at a wedding that it is very easy for the subjects to forget you're there. I don't make a living out of them but they're fun to do once in a while!So if you'd like to get in touch and offer me endless paid travel assignments then do write or if you'd just like to know more about the life of a news photographer, that's ok too!photography@stefanrousseau.comAbout Fr AlexFr Alex Frost is the vicar of St Matthew’s the Apostle, Burnley, where he grew up. He describes himself as the ‘fundamentally unemployable’ host of The God Cast, a podcast devoted to issues of faith and spirituality, which has featured celebrities such as Eamonn Holmes, Alastair Campbell, Edwina Currie, Dom Joly, George Galloway, Anthea Turner and football legend Lou Macari. Anthea Turner and football legend Lou Macari. Ordained in 2015 after a mixed career working as a football referee, manager at Argos and a stand-up comic, Fr Alex also served on The Church of England General Synod for Blackburn Diocese. He is married to Sarah and has three children.Fr Alex made headlines when he featured in a 2021 BBC documentary The Cost of Covid – One Year On, which has been viewed over 12 million times since it was aired. Running a food bank from a car park in Burnley, helping the desperate amid his flock as the pandemic raged, Fr Alex’s down-to-earth style of ministry struck a chord with people of all faiths, cultures and classes across the UK in a time when the divide between rich and poor widens cataclysmically. The Church of England priest, who sports tattoos of his favourite band Depeche Mode, has become the last bastion of support for many in the aftermath of austerity measures, Government cuts and Covid 19 upon a community already ravaged by poverty, addiction and neglect. More recently Fr Alex has been front and centre campaigning for the reclassification of Ketamine, including working as part of a Government consultation, and has featured on National Media outlets including Good Morning Britain, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live. Fr Alex has also spearheaded a campaign for more working class vocations in the Anglican Communion, and in 2025 brought a Private Members Motion to the National Church. His address received a standing ovation and in January 2026 the church unanimously supported his proposals and is now pressing ahead with his plans.