Wakeford started his career in journalism working at
News UK and then onto become news editor of
Heat magazine. In 2002 he moved to America where he worked at
In Touch Weekly and
Life & Style Weekly eventually becoming the editor-in-chief of both titles. In 2013, Wakeford was called upon to defend his magazine company in court after
Tom Cruise accused the owners of the company of racism. In 2015, Wakeford became a deputy editor at
People magazine. In 2019, he was promoted to editor-in-chief. At
People Wakeford created and executive produced the crime documentary series
People Magazine Investigates on ID and
Discovery+ and two prime time four-hour documentaries on the royals for
ABC:
The Story of Diana and
The Story of The Royals. Wakeford regularly appeared on camera for
People Magazine Investigates and many other television shows including
Dateline, the
Today Show,
GMA, the
Kelly Clarkson Show, the
Drew Barrymore Show and
CNN. During his tenure at
People he pushed the brand into podcasts, video and new social platforms and grew the digital footprint to 76 million unique visitors and the whole brand footprint to 88 million consumers a month. Wakeford broke exclusive news stories during his time at
People, including interviews with
Linda Evangelista about her cosmetic procedure lawsuit,
Vanessa Bryant in her only interview after death of her husband
Kobe and daughter Gigi, and the world exclusive first look at
Friends: The Reunion. He oversaw interviews with notable figures, including
Prince William on his
Earthshot initiative, President
Joe Biden and First Lady
Jill Biden's first interview post-inauguration and
George Clooney on his humanitarian work. During his time at
People magazine, Wakeford launched programs to encourage COVID vaccinations, and celebrate Companies That Care. He instituted the brand's first-ever issue on LGBTQ+ Pride. Under his stewardship,
People magazine won the 2021 Folio Eddie and Ozzie Award for the best Consumer, Lifestyle magazine issue, the 2021 GLAADD Award for Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage, and Adweek's 2020 Hot List, celebrating the best in TV, Publishing, Digital and Brands, and the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services 2020 Erasing The Stigma Award for the mental health initiative Let’s Talk About It. He was editor-in-chief of
The Messenger, which opened in May 2023 and folded in January 2024. ==Personal life==