Presidents Club hostess recalls ‘bizarre’ night on Good Morning Britain: ‘It wasn't right'
A HOSTESS from the Presidents Club dinner which has faced enormous backlash has recalled the “bizarre” night she was witness to while speaking on Good Morning Britain earlier today.
GMB: President’s Club hostess reveals she saw 'hands up skirts'
The hostess, nicknamed “Jackie” to hide her identity, was paid to be at the Presidents Club Dinner and told Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard about her experience on Good Morning Britain.
The annual Presidents Club Charity Dinner at the Dorchester Hotel was attended by 360 figures from British business, politics, finance and the entertainment world.
As the story came out, the undercover reporter told BBC Newsnight: “I was groped several times, there were numerous other women who had similar experiences.
“There were hands up skirts, hands on bums, but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly.”
Today on Good Morning Britain, Jackie recounted a similar story, telling the hosts: “I experienced a rather bizarre event - not a normal hostessing event that I am used to.
“As the night went on I started to notice this wasn’t normal. There was a lot of groping and women sitting on mens’ laps and then it just wasn’t right.”
Jackie explained that she was made to sign a “five page disclosure” document which also asked her to wear matching underwear.
She added that she was given a black dress to wear which she was told would be “above the knee”, but when it arrived, it was “very skimpy”.
Jackie confessed: “I removed myself from the situation and found a group of similar girls who were equally as weirded out.
“There were some girls who were engaging and flirting.”
When asked about the organisers, Jackie continued: “[They] were quite pushy and scary and they were walking around the room and say if you weren’t talking to someone they would push you towards them.”
What’s more, the hostess confessed that she didn’t take her grievances to them at the time, choosing instead to remove herself from the situation.
Susanna, 47, asked what the most shocking thing she saw was and Jackie replied that behaviour got more extreme as “men were certainly taking advantage” as everyone got more drunk.
She then revealed more women arrived around the time of the afterparty.
“There were women who were wearing red dresses who were not with us and there was kissing and had provocative behaviour,” she explained.
Jackie added: “I don’t know why they were there but it was very bizarre.”
The hostess, who explained that she has done the job for many years, was taken aback by the nature of this one.
“I was told that men might be a bit flirty and to just brush them off. I was told they would be very rich and they would be very flirty and to just brush them off.”
The Presidents Club told the Financial Times in response to the exposé: “The Presidents Club recently hosted its annual dinner, raising several million pounds for disadvantaged children. The organisers are appalled by the allegations of bad behaviour at the event asserted by the Financial Times reporters.
“Such behaviour is totally unacceptable. The allegations will be investigated fully and promptly and appropriate action is taken.”
Meanwhile, Ms Dandridge of Artista - the hostess agency - said: “This is a really important charity fundraising event that has been running for 33 years and raises huge amounts of money for disadvantaged and underprivileged children’s charities.
“There is a code of conduct that we follow, I am not aware of any reports of sexual harassment and with the calibre of guest, I would be astonished.”
Meanwhile, Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity has handed donations from the event back.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV from 6am.