Oli Townsend

Assistant Editor – Deals

Oli has worked across MSE's Deals & Features team since November 2015 and assists with planning and editing the team's content. He also writes our cinema deals & tips guide, supermarket coupons round-up, Disney+ deals guide, and our Amazon Prime Day coverage.

As an MSE spokesperson, Oli has appeared on national and regional radio stations covering a variety of topics, including supermarket savings, motoring, online shopping tricks, saving while on holiday, cheap days out, TV streaming tricks and more. He previously joined the TalkRadio Breakfast Show for a weekly deals slot from December 2017 to March 2020.

He has provided comments for numerous publications, including the Daily Telegraph, The Sun, the Daily Mirror, Grazia magazine, and the Belfast Telegraph. His TV credits include contributing to two episodes of Channel 4's Tricks of the Restaurant Trade and ITV's Martin Lewis Money Show.

Before MSE, Oli worked as a presenter for a group of commercial radio stations (now known as More Radio) in Sussex, and wrote a monthly music column for a regional magazine.

In his spare time, Oli enjoys hiking and visiting new places. He's attempting to learn Spanish on Duolingo (the free version, of course).

Latest from Oli Townsend

The cinema isn't the cheap date it used to be. If you want to watch the latest big screen blockbusters, it can set you back up to £20 for a ticket alone – more horrifying than a bad B-movie. This guide has deals and tips to help you save at the cinema almost as many times as James Bond has saved the world.

29 May 2025

Walking has great value – not just to your health, or to the environment, but also monetary value. This is because there's a plethora of free apps (or ones you can use if you have certain health/life insurance plans) that effectively pay you to walk. As one of the big apps is now available to more users, and another has recently worsened its free option, we've updated our analysis.

27 May 2025

Giant pub chain Wetherspoon is popular with those wanting cheap drinks and no-fuss food at a decent price. Many of its 800+ pubs are housed in grandiose buildings steeped in history – and let's not forget those jazzy (some might say garish) carpets which are so renowned, they have their own Instagram page.

21 May 2025

Many companies offer special discounts for NHS staff and healthcare workers (and some that emergency services personnel can get too). This guide lists the top deals available and how to get them.

19 May 2025

There are over half a million teachers in the UK playing a vital role in the development of young people, and while seeing pupils or students learning and succeeding must be rewarding, some additional rewards for those hard-working teachers seems more than earned – which is where this guide comes in.

13 May 2025

National Pretzel Day (yes, we've only just realised that's a thing too) is Saturday 26 April, and to mark it, pretzel chain Auntie Anne's is giving away FREE pretzels on the day – but you'll need to go quick as there are only 100 freebies available per store.

16 April 2025

We’ve got a big scoop for you – it's almost time for Ben & Jerry's ‘Free Cone Day’.

1 April 2025

If you've been craving a cheeky Nando's, you can make some peri nice savings whether you dine out, or you want to order to eat at home.

10 March 2025

If you're a fan of Lego and F1, this is one formula you're going to love...

25 February 2025

If you're looking to learn a new skill or broaden your knowledge, we've rounded up some free ways to learn something new. There are tons of free online and app-based resources that can help you learn and develop new skills in a fun way, from free courses, to tutorials and quizzes – and all can be done from the comfort of home.

18 February 2025

Streaming music isn't cheap, but this new Apple Music offer can take a big bite out of the cost. If you've never subscribed to Apple Music before and you own an iPhone, iPad or Mac, here's how you can save £63 on six months of the streaming service.

14 February 2025

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) manage 10 wetland reserves in the UK, which normally cost up to £18 per ticket to visit, but you can claim a totally FREE ticket to visit on any day until Friday 7 February.

4 February 2025

Here's a fun Valentine's Day-themed freebie for the person you don't want to Lego of... or maybe it's just Lego you love. Either way, you've the chance to build your own Lego botanical heart at its in-store event and take it home for free.

31 January 2025

You can get FREE access to many historical sites and tourist attractions this month including National Trust sites, castles, locations used for TV and film including Pride and Prejudice, The King's Speech, and Bridgerton, and more. It's all part of heritage open days across the UK.

20 September 2024

Online retail giant Amazon will be pumping out thousands of deals from 12.01am on Tuesday 16 July until 11.59pm on Wednesday 17 July for its annual Prime Day* two-day event.

15 July 2024

Sainsbury's says it's unable to deliver the majority of today's (Saturday 16 March) online grocery deliveries due to a technical issue, which is also affecting contactless payments in its stores.

16 March 2024