What is Jukes actually charged with?
Alex Jukes, founder of Jukebox PR and host of the podcast "Loud & Unfiltered," appeared before Thames Magistrates' Court in East London on June 23, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to intentional strangulation, assault by beating, and stalking, along with a separate bail-related offence. The strangulation and assault charges relate to an alleged incident dated February 1, 2026. The stalking charge covers a period from May 26 to June 5, 2026. Because the charges are indictable, the case was referred to Crown Court; Jukes was released on conditional bail, and a trial-preparation hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2026, at Wood Green Crown Court in London.
Speaking through Resident Advisor, Jukes said the allegations "relate to a personal matter" and that he intends to contest them "vigorously" in court, declining further comment while proceedings continue. He has pleaded not guilty on every count, and nothing here amounts to a finding of guilt: what's confirmed is the referral to Crown Court and the timeline of hearings ahead.
Why does a PR founder's court case matter to the wider scene?
Jukebox PR, founded in 2008, is one of dance music's most connected agencies, working with more than 350 festivals across over 40 countries; Jukes recently launched Jukebox Ventures, a fund targeting $15 million. An agency at that scale sits at a chokepoint most fans never see: it controls press access, media narratives, and often festival relationships for the artists it represents. When the person running that chokepoint is charged with strangulation, assault and stalking, it is not just a personal legal matter, it is a test of whether festivals, labels and outlets that hire an agency actually vet who they are putting artists and journalists in contact with.
The scene runs almost entirely on reputation and referral, not due diligence, and that gap is exactly what a case like this exposes.
What happens next?
The July 21, 2026 hearing at Wood Green Crown Court is trial preparation, not the trial itself, so no verdict is expected that day. Until then, Jukes remains on conditional bail and formally presumed innocent. Whether festivals and clients keep working with Jukebox PR while the case proceeds is a separate question from the legal one, and it's the one the industry actually controls.
