There was a time when if you told someone you worked for a newspaper, you could almost see them deciding whether you were about to rifle through their bins for a scoop.

The phone-hacking scandal left a stain that spread far beyond the handful of people who actually broke the rules.

I know that because I spent years as a showbusiness reporter, interviewing celebrities in hotel rooms, backstage and on many red carpets.

Like the vast majority of entertainment journalists, I relied on old-fashioned reporting: building contacts, earning trust and – my favourite – having a couple for Dutch courage at the many free bars and asking cheeky questions at parties.

What I’m trying to say is that I never hacked a phone – and I never saw it happen.

News last week made me think about this period of my life: news that the High Court ruled in favour of Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers in the lawsuit brought by Prince Harry and other public figures, from politicians to pop stars.

It came after the Duke of Sussex’s years-long campaign to prove allegations of unlawful press activity, including phone hacking, regarding his private life.

The email that briefly dragged me into the phone-hacking scandal

The judge, however, ruled the claimants........

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