First Sun on Sunday to launch tomorrow

The first edition of the Sun on Sunday will start rolling off the printing presses tonight with newspaper executives hoping the new title will emulate the success of its defunct predecessor the News of the World.

Bosses at News International have recruited a clutch of celebrity columnists including Katie Price and Nancy Dell’Olio for its latest title, while the Archbishop of York and chef Heston Blumenthal will also have weekly slots.

Rupert Murdoch, who has flown into the UK to oversee the launch, yesterday declared he would be “very happy” if sales of his new paper exceed two million copies and enjoyed similar success to the NotW.

The penultimate issue of the title, which ceased publication at the height of the phone hacking scandal in July last year, sold around 2.7 million copies

The media tycoon, 80, tweeted: “The Sun: great speculation, sweeps, etc on Sunday’s sale. I will be very happy at anything substantially over two million!”

News International announced the birth of a Sunday edition of the biggest selling UK daily newspaper on Monday and Mr Murdoch has since said it has completely sold out of advertising space.

Publicist Max Clifford said: “I think it has got a very good chance to be a big success.

“The Sun is the biggest paper in the country and News of the World was by far the most successful Sunday paper. You put that together and they have a great chance to go straight to number one and potentially stay there.

“The News of the World was a national institution, an awful lot of people have missed it. The fact is, the Sun is by far the most successful newspaper in Britain so there is an awful lot of people potentially who are going to buy this.”

There has been been much conjecture about the editorial style of the new Sunday paper, with many media commentators suggesting it will be more family-friendly and less salacious than the News of the World.

Bosses have revealed that former glamour model Price will pen a weekly column, saying she will “give readers her opinions on everything from family life to feminism, from school issues to showbiz gossip”.

Meanwhile, Italian personality Dell’Olio will have a style column, Dr John Sentamu will have a Sunday Service column and celebrity chef Blumenthal will offer weekly cooking tips.

The new paper tipped the balance in the lucrative Sunday market after announcing it would be sold for just 50p.

The cost of the title is expected to have sparked a tabloid price war and it is understood that rival titles – the Sunday Mirror, the People and the Daily Star Sunday – are to slash their price tags tomorrow.

Bob Satchwell, executive director of the UK's Society of Editors, said a new Sunday title would be welcomed by both journalists and the public alike. Readers will have a wider variety of choice on news stands and there could be more jobs for journalists.

“It seems that up to one million people may not have moved elsewhere after the demise of the News of the World,” he said.

“I expect that many of those will at least try the Sun on Sunday. Rupert Murdoch is often criticised for all sorts of reasons but the one thing he has been consistent in, for many years, is investing in journalism.”

Mr Clifford added: “I’m very pleased that a lot of journalists that are out of work will now be working.

“It is important to remember that the vast majority of the News of the World staff that lost their jobs had nothing to do with any of the activities that caused the downfall of the paper.”

Speculation about a Sunday edition of the Sun had been mounting since the closure of the News of the World after the hacking scandal.