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Hey, I'm Shannon Miller

Journalist

I'm a journalist with a passion for human-led storytelling across social issues, culture, identity and community.

Specialising in features, my work blends empathy with intentional storytelling, connecting with readers through clarity and lived experience.

My writing explores the realities shaping people’s lives, with a focus on underrepresented perspectives and cultural conversation points that often go unnoticed. I'm especially drawn to stories centred on human experience and voices that aren't always given space

Currently working as a journalist at The Mirror, I produce features, news articles and commentary tailored to our audience. I’m confident in interviewing, shaping engaging copy and pitching, and I’m also growing and developing my skills in multimedia and on-camera storytelling, expanding my ability to produce digital content that connects with audiences in different ways.

At the forefront of my journalism is a dedication to compassion, clarity and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard.

Exclusive Articles

Daily Mirror •

'My daughter was murdered by her husband as kids slept - now I have huge plea'

When Home Office Minister Jess Phillips reads out the grim roll call of women killed by men in the last year in Parliament, every name will bring an agonising pain of recognition for Tim Davies and Helena Sharrott. Especially as their beautiful daughters' name will be there.

Identifying her body was the worst moment of 58-year-old grandfather Tim's life. But just days after her murder on June 13, 2025, he found himself sitting in a meeting, being told that her cocaine addict husband Paul Knight...
Daily Mirror •

Mum of boy, 14, stabbed to death on bus makes four-word demand

The mum of 14-year-old knife victim Kelyan Bokassa today visited the spot where he died and demanded: "This has to stop".

Heartbroken Mary Bokassa wept as she looked at flowers and written tributes left for her son at the bus stop in Woolwich, South East London. Medics had desperately attempted to save him there just 48 hours earlier after he was stabbed on a bus, but he tragically passed away shortly after they arrived.

As police carried on the hunt for Kelyan’s killers, Mary, 50, told the Mi...
Daily Mirror •

'My sister was days from graduating - then fight over a cat killed her'

Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi was excitedly counting down the days to graduation day. The 23-year-old was so close to becoming the nurse she dreamed of being, and she had a holiday booked for after the ceremony.

But instead it was her sister who walked on to the graduation stage to accept her nursing degree. Because just two weeks earlier, Elizabeth – known as Tamilore – had been murdered, and her flatmate charged with stabbing her to death in their apartment.

Georgina says of the graduation day:...
Daily Mirror •

'I lost 2 sisters to sickle cell - more awareness could've saved their lives'

For years, Adesayo Talabi, known online as Simply Sayo, thought her sister Elizabeth's medication and frequent check-ups were just part of everyday life, not the warning signs of a life-threatening blood disorder. But when doctors revealed her body stopped producing blood and she had only 2% of blood left in her body, she realised the silent killer living in her home.

Sayo's parents had eight children, but only six are alive today. Two of her sisters died from sickle cell, one as a baby and ano...
Daily Mirror •

'I thought my toddler had a cold - but worrying symptom proved it was diabetes'

Little Zion Williams was only two years old when his world changed in an instant, after he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

His parents Deborah and Cephas, who run businesses, rushed him to A&E following two weeks of tummy pains and his sudden weight loss, only to find that his blood sugar levels were dangerously high - measuring 49.9, compared to a normal reading of between 4 and 8.

Londoner Deborah recalls: “It was a Sunday and he had been complaining about tummy pains for about two weeks...
Daily Mirror •

I had a 'heart attack' at 16 then doctors got everything wrong

Clutching her chest, Darcie Warner was panic stricken. Her heart rate had skyrocketed and she was in extreme pain. At just 16 years old, she thought she was having a heart attack. “I couldn’t move or do anything,” says Darcie, now 20, who lives in Cardiff. “The pain was the scariest part, not knowing when it was going to stop. It was sudden and I was by myself. I honestly had no idea what was happening, I was in shock.”

Darcie is one of just 0.2% of the population who suffer from Postural Ortho...
Daily Mirror •

'Common disease took my sight and ate my body - now 130 people keep me alive'

For sufferers of sickle cell disease, agonising pain and fear are a cruel part of everyday life. But a major breakthrough has brought much-needed hope for the UK’s 17,500 patients, with a £1.6million gene-editing treatment to be offered to the worst affected in the hope of providing a ‘functional cure’.

Sickle cell is the fastest growing genetic condition in the UK where red blood cells are sickle shaped rather than circular. This leads to agonising blockages that damage organs and can lead to...
Daily Mirror •

Charity that supported Jay Slater family forced to shut services

When a British citizen goes missing overseas, support is scarce, and for years, there was only one charity that stepped in to help - LBT Global, formerly known as the Lucie Blackman Trust.

The charity has since rebranded as Safe Harbour, but was forced to cut back vital services, leaving families with missing relatives stranded in silence. “People always tell us they’d never heard of us, until they need us,” CEO Matthew Searle told the Mirror, “and sometimes, they find us too late.”

The charit...
Daily Mirror •

'Brain tumour that almost killed my son could save his life'

“I remember feeling the hate of that tumour, but yet desperately needing it.” That’s what Toni O’Callaghan, Jay’s mum, told The Mirror after facing a moment no parent should. She found herself travelling across the country with her son’s tumour in an envelope, bringing it to Germany in a last-chance effort to save him.

The very thing that almost killed him might be the only thing that can keep him alive. “[There was a] mix of emotions,” she said. “I wanted to destroy it, but I knew how much I n...
Daily Mirror •

'Our son died because donor match was too late - young people need to act now'

A couple who tragically lost their son, who was the first Black person in the UK to receive a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor, has started a new initiative to encourage vital blood donations. Beverley De-Gale OBE and Orin Lewis OBE are the co-founders of African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT).

Their charity has now teamed up with the award-winning podcast 90s Baby to host a groundbreaking event - one that combines blood donations with music, food, games and a strong sense of comm...
Daily Mirror •

Queen Camilla supporting unlikely pop duo in song for kids who won't read

Children are surrounded by books in classrooms and in libraries, yet many are no longer choosing to read them and screens have quickly filled the gap, taking over daily life. It’s a shift most parents and teachers recognise and the latest figures suggest it’s becoming increasingly entrenched.

The percentage of children and young people who said they enjoy reading has hit its lowest level in two decades as just one in three 8-18 year olds said they liked reading in their free time - a 36% drop s...
Daily Mirror •

'There's enough homeless kids to fill the O2 seven times - we need change now'

Britain’s housing crisis is destroying lives, with children forced into homelessness, families trapped in poverty and the NHS spending billions treating illnesses linked to damp and mould.

Campaigner and writer Kwajo Tweneboa says the scale of suffering is impossible to ignore. “We’ve got enough homeless kids in England to fill the O2 arena more than eight times over,” he told The Mirror. “We’ve got 1.3 million people waiting for social housing. People unable to afford renting in the private re...
Daily Mirror •

'We jumped at dream holiday chance - stupid naive mistake shattered our lives'

Two glamorous friends who were caught smuggling more than 35kg of cannabis in their suitcase on a flight home to the UK have spoken out for the first time since their 15-month 'torture'.

Sophie Bannister, 30, and Levi-April Whalley, 31, from Blackburn, told Border Force officials they had been on a three-day shopping spree in New York City when they were stopped at Birmingham International Airport. However, their bags were searched and the drugs - to the street value of more than £160,000 - wer...
Daily Mirror •

'I'm a 12-year-old businessman and I make history when I sing'

When Malaki Conteh sings at midnight mass at Chichester Cathedral on Christmas Eve, as the first Black chief chorister in the institution’s 950 year lifetime, he will be making history. Just 12-years-old, this is the latest in a string of extraordinary achievements by Malaki, who started his first business half a lifetime ago - aged just six.

“I said to my dad I wanted to be a chorister, but he said to me I had to pay for it myself,” Malaki told The Mirror.

Malaki, who lives in Warlingham, Sur...
Daily Mirror •

'I was treated like drug addict after 12 hours in A&E with devastating disease'

A specialist Sickle Cell service at the Royal London Hospital is set to close following a temporary six-month trial, sparking fear among patients who rely on the service during pain crises.

The pilot offers rapid access to specialist care for people living with sickle cell disease - the name for a group of inherited health conditions that affect the red blood cells, which are particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean heritage - is due to shut on January 30. Patients fear the cl...
Daily Mirror •

Three murders 70 years apart linked by unlikely coincidence which solved them

They might be the last thing anyone wants to find in their home, but bed bugs could soon become one of the strangest tools in modern forensics.

New research suggests the blood-sucking critters may retain usable traces of human DNA long after biting their host, a finding that could open up unexpected new ways of linking people to places and events and could help to solve crimes.

Led by entomologist Associate Professor Dr Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid and postdoctoral researcher Lim Li, a team at The Sci...
Daily Mirror •

Victory for Mirror campaign as hospital reopens emergency care unit it shuttered

The specialist emergency sickle cell unit at the Royal London Hospital is set to reopen after The Mirror backed a campaign to stop its closure.

The unit, which was originally introduced as a six-month pilot, provided rapid access to specialist care for people living with sickle cell disease -the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK.

Primarily affecting people with African or Caribbean family backgrounds in the UK, where around 18,000 people are impacted, red blood cells take on a sickle...
Daily Mirror •

'I've been thrown out of UK - but it's the only home I've known since I was 6'

When rapper Cashh was deported from the UK, he was sent back to a country he barely remembered - ripped away from his home, his career, and his community. Years later, the South London artist still lives with the trauma of what happened, a daily reminder of what it feels like to be made “no one.”

Now back in Britain, he’s determined to tell his story not just for himself, but for the countless others still trapped in Britain’s broken immigration system. Cashh spoke to the Mirror to raise awaren...
Daily Mirror •

'Sickle cell stole my childhood but my book will help kids of the future'

For Sickle Cell Awareness Month, award-winning author Laura Henry-Allain MBE has teamed up with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to create My Blood, Your Blood, a new children’s book inspired by the real-life story of Sydenham teenager Angel Salami.

Angel, 13, and her dad Kehinde both live with sickle cell disease and know first-hand the toll it takes. Thanks to improved screening, Angel was diagnosed at birth but the condition has shaped every part of her childhood.

“It makes me feel restless...
Daily Mirror •

'I was scared to show emotion - now I want young men to know it’s okay to feel'

When Love Island winner Cacherel Mirjah Mercer, better known as Cach, broke down in tears on the show, it became one of the most talked-about moments of the series.

His current partner, Toni Laites, who he won the show with, had decided to couple up with Harrison Luna during a recoupling, leaving Cach single. He was open and honest with Toni about how the situation made him feel.

“That was one of the most embarrassing things I’ve been through in my entire life… You knew what decision you wante...
Daily Mirror •

My daughter inspired my baby skincare brand - now it's an international success

Nala’s Baby is one of the fastest-growing skincare brands in the UK since their launch in 2020, but unlike most businesses their product wasn’t formed in a boardroom - it started at home, out of necessity.

The brand was created by British rapper Casyo Johnson, known as Krept, and his former partner Sasha Ellese Gilbert. As the then couple prepared for the birth of their first daughter Nala, Sasha became cautious about the products she used on her body, and after analysing ingredients in baby sk...
Daily Mirror •

'We turned a small blog into a £25 million brand celebrating our culture'

Before Daily Paper became a £25 million fashion brand worn across the world, it was just a small blog run by three friends Jefferson Osei, Abderrahmane Trabsini and Hussein Suleiman in Amsterdam.

Launched in 2008, long before the rise of influencers, the blog was built to celebrate their shared cultures, rooted in their Ghanaian, Moroccan and Somali heritage.

Co-founder Jefferson Osei spoke on a panel at Black Tech Fest, reflecting on how culture inspired the business, and later spoke to The M...
Daily Mirror •

'I quit my job to chase my dreams - now I DJ with celebrities for a living'

DJ AG is bringing music to the streets - literally. From performing sets on Wood Green High Road to passing cars and empty crowds, to partying outside Kings Cross station with Hollywood A-listers like Will Smith, Ed Sheeran and Idris Elba, it's safe to say his open-deck pop-ups have become a space where both icons and newcomers can show off their musical talent.

DJ AG spoke about his journey during a powerful speech at Black Tech Fest and in an exclusive chat with The Mirror, he opened up about...
Daily Mirror •

'Notting Hill Carnival is in my blood - I was on the road before I could walk'

Notting Hill Carnival needs no introduction. It's the highlight of London's cultural calendar, and a time for reflection and celebration. I headed to The Tabernacle to meet with the people behind one of the biggest parties in the UK and quickly felt the vibrant atmosphere, the joy between the very people who help Carnival come to life.

It was clear they all felt at home, showcasing their beautifully curated costumes - which is the visual reflection of how free and vibrant the big weekend truly...
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First Person Articles

Daily Mirror •

I'm judged for my Afro hair - it's a mental load Black women are forced to carry

I honestly couldn’t count how many times I’ve stood in the mirror asking myself: if my hair is too much? Too big? Too loud? Too ... Black. And what makes it worse is this isn’t isolated - it’s a reality for many Black people, especially Black women.

Even now, all these years later, the thoughts still creep in. Whether I’m preparing for an interview or just planning my next hairstyle, the same questions come up; is this hairstyle acceptable? Will people see me as less professional if I show up w...
Daily Mirror •

Ginga Jay's rant proves Black women constantly carry the weight of stereotypes

Influencer Jahzeiah Francois known as Ginga Jay, went on a scathing rant on popular YouTube show BK Chat. His rant detailed why he "doesn't date Black women" and has since blown up online.

In the now viral clip, Francois said: "Here’s why I don’t date Black women, because you don’t like to get put in your place - stay in your f**kng place!” Later, he added: “Black women don’t f**kng behave themselves.”

Francois has since doubled down after the video went viral, insisting he stood by every word...
Daily Mirror •

'Disliking Whitney Adebayo is no excuse to dismiss her experience of racism'

Love Island stars' Whitney Adebayo and Lochan Nowacki's breakup has been the topic of viral debate after Whitney alleged she experienced racism during their almost two year relationship.

Things kicked off between the pair when Whitney posted a snap in a bright pink strapless bikini on a beach in Barbados. She wrote: "'You look happier," before adding: "Thanks! I finally fell in love with my skin he used to call dirty."

Rather than showing support after Whitney's candid admission, TikTok users...
Daily Mirror •

'Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad isn’t cheeky branding - it echoes a dangerous past'

When Sydney Sweeney's Good Genes American Eagle ad popped up on my feed, I couldn't help but feel this ad was more than just a play on words.

In what Donald Trump is calling the "the hottest ad out there", the blonde hair blued eyed Euphoria star is dressed in double denim. Deadpan, she says: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.” A voiceover follows: “Sydney Sweeney has great genes.”

El...

"A newspaper should be a mirror that reflects the true nature of the world and the events that shape it"

Alfred Harmsworth, Lord Northcliffe