Growth opportunities in health and wellness are again the focus for News Corp Australia as the publisher bids to establish the category as a “new pillar” to sit alongside travel and food.

Today’s announcement of Fiona Nilsson (pictured) as managing director, food, health and travel and Kerrie McCallum adding to her premium food and travel portfolios as editorial director of premium food, health and travel, follows a broadly similar push in 2019.

News said Nilsson would drive the investment in the Body+Soul health brand, which includes a print insert in Sunday mastheads, a website, video content, podcast series and social channels.

New research with agency The Lab showed people were more actively engaged in health in the post-COVID era.

“The study has identified opportunities in the category and we are using these findings to inform our health and wellness growth strategy and to build a roadmap to guide our expansion,” Nilsson said.

Current Body+Soul editor-in-chief Sarrah Le Marquand moves to establish a new national entertainment network focussed on celebrity news, premium interviews and exclusive photo shoots across the group, as part of a fresh focus on entertainment news across digital and print.

She will continue as editor-in-chief of Stellar magazine, and the group’s TV and streaming liftout which as The Binge Guide, shares the name of one of NewsCorp’s associated streaming brands.

Other key appointments to build out the health and wellness team – effective from December – include new recruit Jacqui Mooney as editor-in-chief of Body+Soul, and former Marie Claire creative director Sarah Hughes to a similar role. John Hannan adds health and wellness digital content and audience strategy to his responsibilities in addition to premium food and travel – including delicious and Escape digital, social and video channels – as digital director.