Jeremy Hunt addressed a senior News Corporation lobbyist as "daddy" and "mon ami" in dozens of jokey and intimate text messages sent at all hours of day and night.
Fred Michel responded with flattering comments about the Culture Secretary's "stamina" and "great" performances in TV interviews and the Commons.
Mr Hunt also assured Mr Michel, then European director of public affairs for Rupert Murdoch's media empire, there was "nothing u won't like" in an upcoming speech.
The Leveson Inquiry today released 67 texts sent between the two men from June 21 2010 until July 3 2011, the period when News Corp was seeking to take over satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
Mr Michel and Mr Hunt, whose wives both gave birth at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in late May 2010, regularly swapped updates about their young children.
On June 21 2010 the Culture Secretary texted the lobbyist: "Baby fine just changed his nappy lucky daddy!"
A month later, on July 15, Mr Michel, who is French, praised Mr Hunt on a "great announcement", to which the Minister replied: "Merci papa (Thank you daddy)."
Mr Hunt also proposed meeting up for a drink with the News Corp executive to celebrate fatherhood, and said he would ask his special adviser Adam Smith to arrange it.
The lobbyist praised the Culture Secretary's appearance on a Sunday morning TV show on July 25, writing: "Full of energy and purpose on Andrew Marr! Liked your answer on Rupert and on BBC!"
Mr Hunt responded: "Merci mon ami (Thank you my friend)."
In August 2010 the two men joked about the Culture Secretary's controversial decision to abolish the UK Film Council.
Mr Michel wrote, "Be strong! Even Clint Eastwood can't stop it", to which Mr Hunt replied, "If they play dirty harry so can I!"
On December 2 the lobbyist commiserated with Mr Hunt about the failure of England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup and said he would see the Minister at his speech the following week.
The Minister texted back at 5.11am: "Thanks fred nothing u won't like!"
In another message Mr Michel wrote that the cycling team sponsored by Sky had just recruited a new rider called Jeremy Hunt, to which the Culture Secretary responded: "He will WIN!"
Further releases by the Leveson Inquiry reveal the extent of News Corporation lobbyist Fred Michel's contacts with senior figures in Government.
The cache of emails and texts show Mr Michel was in regular contact with ministers and officials in Downing Street and Whitehall.
The documents show that Mr Michel and the then Number 10 Director of Communications Andy Coulson exchanged 18 text messages between September and November 2010.
But the content of each of the messages was blacked out before their release by the Leveson team.
The evidence also revealed that Mr Michel contacted David Cameron's special adviser Gabby Bertin hours before the closure of the News of the World last July saying he had "very important" information - telling her it would be "our last call".
Text messages revealed Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg was "furious" with his Cabinet colleague Vince Cable after the Business Secretary was caught out by undercover reporters saying he had "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch's media empire.
The row in December 2010 led to Mr Cable being stripped of responsibility for the decision on News Corporation's takeover of BSkyB - a role that went to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
In a text to Mr Clegg's aide Lena Pietsch, Mr Michel said: "Cable's comments are amazing. Incredible. Fred"
Ms Pietsch responded: "Unacceptable. Nick furious obviously."
Mr Michel suggested that he was "not sure it's justifiable" for Mr Cable to remain the Cabinet, before later adding: "We are keeping calm and not inflaming things. Hope Nick OK X"
In an indication of the informal nature of many of his contacts with officials, after a meeting with Ms Pietsch in No 10 in January 2011 Mr Michel sent a text saying: "Thank you for such a nice catchup by the rose garden! We should do it more often."
Making plans for a meeting in Davos, where politicians and business leaders gathered in January 2011, Ms Pietsch said Mr Clegg would be at a reception hosted by the Duke of York.
Mr Michel responded: "Most people of power and influence try to avoid duke of York at all costs!"
Mr Michel texted Ms Bertin at 1.55pm on July 7 2011 - just hours before James Murdoch announced the closure of the News of the World.
"I do need to speak to you in 1 hour. very important. Our `last call'. Xx", he wrote.
Ms Bertin responded at around 3pm: "Ok x". In a further text at 3.37pm - apparently after he had informed her of the impending closure by phone - she asked: "When u announcing it? X"
He replied at 3.38pm: "We have announced it internally now. Briefing media in next hour x"
The dramatic announcement that the Sunday tabloid would print its final edition that week was made public almost exactly an hour later.
Mr Michel and Ms Bertin had exchanged a flurry of text messages over the previous few days, as the furore over hacking reached fever pitch in the wake of The Guardian's July 4 report that News of the World reporters had eavesdropped on the phone messages of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
On July 5, the News Corp lobbyist told her: "Let's keep lines open. This is a critical time xxx"
And early the next morning, he texted Ms Bertin: "And thank for your messages to Rebekah last night xxxx"
At Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons on July 6, Mr Cameron denounced the hacking as "absolutely disgusting" and announced the launch of the Leveson Inquiry.
At the end of that day, Ms Bertin texted Mr Michel, "Another hard core day. X" and he replied: "Yes....mon dieu....incredible. Am with Craig now. DC was very good at PMQ. We need to get through this. You ok?"
Today's cache of documents included 23 text messages which Mr Michel and Ms Bertin exchanged between January and July 2011, many of them signed off with one or more `x`s.
On January 17, after Mr Cameron used an interview on Radio 4's Today programme to resist calls for Mr Coulson to be sacked, Mr Michel texted Ms Bertin to say: "Good support for andy by the boss on R4. Good stuff. Keep the pressure guys ! XX"
On April 6, after he commiserated with her over a newspaper story highlighting tension within the coalition over the use of unpaid interns, she replied: "Papers are a car crash today Fred."
On April 23, Mr Michel contacted her to check that "Rupert/James's summer party on 15th June is firmly in DC's diary?
And on May 10, he texted her, apparently about a meeting with Craig Oliver, telling her "Great chat with CrAig x", and later adding "He did ask me a lot about phone hacking..."
There were 46 text messages between Mr Michel and Craig Oliver, who took over from Andy Coulson as Number 10 director of communications, between March 1 2011 - Mr Oliver's first week in the job - and July 6.
On March 12, Mr Michel invited Mr Oliver to accompany him to a Take That concert at Wembley. "I will host 6/8 people in a great box. James Harding and wife coming. Bon week-end."
Mr Oliver replied: "Sounds great fun. I will check re declaring."
On April 28, Mr Oliver informed Mr Michel he has had dinner with Colin Myler, then editor of the News of the World, and John Witherow, editor of The Sunday Times.
Mr Michel replied that he would "get debriefed". In a further text message, Mr Michel said: "Very positive feedback from Colin Myler and Witherow. they both really liked you."
They then exchanged comments about the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. Mr Michel said: "Saw it live from Bordeaux with my family and raised glass of champagne on the beach. Vive la princesse!"
On May 10, Mr Michel said they should have a "proper lunch or dinner soon", to which Mr Oliver replied "I'd like that. C".
After a meeting in early June, Mr Michel texted to say "You are on top form!" Mr Oliver said he would "enjoy meeting you and Will", apparently a reference to News International executive Will Lewis.
On July 5, Mr Michel texted him with a message starting "Hey buddy" and checking whether "you guys are still on for dinner tomorrow".
The next day, Mr Oliver said: "Looking forward to tonight. Is location discreet?"
Mr Michel sent a text message to George Osborne's chief of staff Rupert Harrison on November 9 2010, asking him if the Chancellor could write to Mr Cable about the economic importance of News Corp's bid for BSkyB, and offering to "help with the content" of any letter.
The message came a day after Mr Michel and Mr Harrison had lunch together, and just days after Mr Cable had referred the bid to regulator Ofcom, to the annoyance of James Murdoch.
"Rupert, just spoke with James," wrote Mr Michel. "It would be helpful if George were to send a letter to Vince on our Sky merger and its economic importance, separate from the Ofcom process. Do you think it is a possibility? I can of course help with the content. Best, fred"
Mr Harrison replied: "Will have to discuss with g when he's back from china. R"
Later that day, Mr Michel was back in touch, apparently asking why Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander was refusing to meet Mr Murdoch.
"Hi Rupert. Do you know why Danny is refusing to meet with James? Just got a categorical 'no'... Fred", he wrote.
Mr Harrison replied: "Will try to find out in a roundabout way, but as you know they can be an unpredictable bunch...", to which Mr Michel answered: "Indeed mon ami!"
On December 21, after reports that Mr Cable had "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch, Mr Michel texted Mr Harrison to brand the comment "outrageous".
But Mr Harrison was off work following the birth of his daughter and replied that he did not have to get involved in the row.
On March 3 2011 - when News Corp offered, in an undertaking-in-lieu (UIL), to spin off Sky News into a separate company in order to allay concerns about plurality - Mr Harrison texted Mr Michel to say that it "looks like you've found a good solution".
And following Mr Osborne's Budget on March 23, Mr Michel sent a message to say: "Rupert, well done today. GO was a class act. And the Budget delivers on many fronts. Warm regards. Fred"
Mr Michel invited Mr Harrison to join him in his box for the Take That reunion concert at Wembley, but it was more than a month later before he received a reply to say: "Embarrassed as just seen I never replied to your kind invitation to Take That - so sorry. Assume too late now? And in fact not sure we could have made it. But apologies anyway! R"
On July 7 2011, about an hour before the announcement of the closure of the News of the World, Mr Michel texted Mr Harrison to say: "We are closing News of the World. Last issue on Sunday. Fred".
Mr Harrison replied: "Big news. Hope you're holding up. R", and received a further message to say: "We'll get through this. Hope all is well. Fred".
Days later on July 10, Mr Michel texted Mr Harrison to ask: "Hi. Quick question for your advice: do you think it would be possible/helpful to get a senior Government person to come out condemning strongly phone hacking, ask for thorough police investigation but insisting on the need for the legal process to be followed? Incredible that a business decision on a massive takeover could be left to Parliament to oppose/influence no? Hope all is well. Fred".
Mr Harrison replied: "Isn't that what we've already said?"
Mr Michel answered that he thought there was "a need for a strong clear message from Government that Parliament should not be replacing the Takeover panel or Ofcom for Miliband political expediency, especially since Ofcom said, after clearing our UIL, that they were monitoring the situation."
He added: "I know DC is not in a strong position but i think it would help. Let me know views. Fred"
But in a text on July 13 - the last of the 37 between the two men published by the inquiry today - Mr Michel informed Mr Harrison: "We withdrawed the bid."
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's former special adviser, Adam Smith, texted Mr Michel on February 2 2011 to request that he send some documents to his Gmail email account rather than his official Department for Culture, Media and Sport one.
Mr Michel sent a message of thanks to Mr Smith from James Murdoch on June 30 2011 after Mr Hunt provisionally accepted plans to hive off Sky News as a separate company from BSkyB in a move that brought the planned takeover a step closer.
He wrote: "'Jeremy was ace.' said James. Thanks for this."
The Leveson Inquiry released 757 text messages sent between Mr Michel and Mr Smith, nearly all of them relating to the takeover bid.
But a few are of a light-hearted nature, as when the lobbyist wrote to the special adviser on February 12 2011: "Sorry my baby boy called you by accident!"
The Inquiry released hundreds of pages of correspondence between News Corporation and the Culture Department regarding the BSkyB bid, many of which were blacked out before being published, leaving nothing but the letterhead and sign-off legible.
Also among documents released today was an exchange of emails in January 2011 discussing how the Department should respond to members of the public who had been writing to MPs questioning Mr Hunt's handling of the bid.
In one message, Mr Hunt joked: "Good to be a hate figure, Maggie.would be proud of me!"
Mr Smith replied: "Hate figure for some but I've had people including students say you were at the top of your game last night!"
Also published was a "lines to take" document drawn up for Mr Hunt in January 2011 suggesting responses he could make to Labour MPs who raise questions about the BSkyB bid in the Commons.