Arsenal’s boardroom has taken a glamorous twist with the arrival of Ben Winston, the Emmy-winning producer whose contacts list reads like a Hollywood roll call. The 43-year-old Arsenal obsessive has been added to the club’s new-look hierarchy after a dramatic reshuffle that saw long-time advisor Tim Lewis step aside and Josh Kroenke take a firmer grip of day-to-day influence.

The Cruise connection

The story of Winston’s bond with Tom Cruise could have come straight from a film script. As the creative mind behind the unforgettable finale of last year’s Olympic closing ceremony, Winston wanted a showstopper. His pitch? A Mission: Impossible-style flag-snatch to set the stage for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Within minutes of meeting Casey Wasserman, chair of the LA organising committee, Winston’s mind was racing: “What if Cruise did it?” he suggested, as revealed by . It was bold, outrageous, and utterly brilliant.  

AdvertisementAFPThe hard part

Convincing Cruise was no small feat. But thanks to previous collaborations on with James Corden, Winston already had Cruise’s ear. The Hollywood megastar agreed, but with one audacious condition: no stunt double. Cruise himself would leap off the roof of the Stade de France, rehearsing the death-defying dive four days straight to get it perfect. 

Cosing up with Corden

Meanwhile, Winston forged a close bond with Corden during the production of He also formulated the karaoke idea when he was working as the producer of for BBC One. Speaking about his role, Corden said: "Ben Winston and I always thought there was something very joyful about someone very, very famous singing their songs in an ordinary situation. We just had this idea: Los Angeles, traffic, the carpool lane – maybe this is something we could pull off.” 

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Arsenal blood in his veins

For all the glitz, Winston’s core is pure Arsenal. The Winston family have been dyed-in-the-wool Gooners for generations. His father, Professor Robert Winston, is as loyal a supporter as they come, and the family can often be spotted at both home and away fixtures.