or have I missed something??
Sounds like you have a perfect understanding! Do you work for the media?
No CPL then no flying, regardless of the operation type, unless the aircraft was privately owned and flown by a Private Pilot Licencr holder (PPL) and if the flight was equally cost shared between the pilot and passenger. If this was the case it would also be a moot point because it sounds like he didn't have a medical anyway, so no PPL either. You also essentially can't run a private flight with a random passenger who is paying as that would require an AOC or Warbird approval.