In recent years, a string of British editors have crossed the Atlantic, with Elle's Sarah Bailey joining Harper's Bazaar, FHM editor Ed Needham joining Rolling Stone and former Q editor Andy Pemberton going to Blender.
Gutfeld, who is known for an irreverent approach and whose humour has hit out at some senior magazine executives in the US, will face an uphill struggle in London where Maxim, unlike its Stateside sister magazine, is struggling.
He replaces Tom Loxley, who resigned from the Dennis title after four-and-a-half years as editor in March. During his time as editor, sales fell from a peak of 328,000 to 243,341, down 3% year on year.
The move will surprise some because Dennis replaced Gutfeld as editor of its US title Stuff last year when sales began to slide, moving him to work on special projects.
However, he is said to have won the UK Maxim job after wowing Dennis executives with a string of new ideas that will see Maxim take the fight to market leader FHM.
Dennis refused to confirm the appointment although one insider said that Gutfeld will bring a welcome jolt to UK men's magazines.
In a report in the New York Times, Gutfeld said that Britain presented the biggest challenge in men's magazines.
"I think that Britain is the only interesting place to do a magazine right now. What's left here? Editing another catalogue on men's shopping? Not that anyone was asking."
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