The Londoner: Holmes missile misses target

Jeremy Corbyn's cut-out sells out / Lady Hale causes merch mania / Wreath laid for Labour Students / When it rains it pours in Portcullis House...
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Asc
25 September 2019

A plastic bottle thrown at a BBC presenter at Labour conference by Talk Radio presenter Eamonn Holmes escalated into an incident that saw police being called, The Londoner can reveal.

On Monday night, officers, one of whom was armed, attended after being summoned following the incident, which itself was sparked by a case of mistaken identity. Holmes had become annoyed by loud noises made on the BBC set by Faisal Islam, the Corporation’s new economics editor, with whom he’s friendly, and lobbed an empty bottle in his direction. But by the time he did so, Islam had walked away and reporter Andrew Sinclair was doing a live broadcast to camera. The bottle can be seen making a brief appearance on screen during Monday evening’s BBC Look East broadcast, where it landed between Sinclair and his cameraman. A Talk Radio source told The Londoner that afterwards “a producer came up and asked ‘are you in charge? You’ll have to stay here because the police are coming.’ I thought he was taking the p**s.”

Labour conference staff are understood to have contacted the police. Once officers from within the conference centre arrived and realised what had happened, they treated it “as an absolute joke”, the source said. Police suggested that Holmes simply apologise to the BBC team.

A BBC source confirmed they had received a “fulsome apology” and now “consider the matter closed”. But The Londoner tracked down Islam, whose behaviour allegedly sparked the extraordinary fracas, in the Hilton bar on Monday evening to find out his side of the story. “I over-exuberantly greeted a legendary BBC camerawoman who I had never worked with,” Islam confessed, but said he had never intended to cause trouble.

Police told The Londoner they attended but that it was not reported as a criminal matter and they were “satisfied that there was no malicious intent.” Talk Radio staff, though, had initially been worried. “They were s***ing themselves,” its source said. “But I said ‘what can they do? Nothing. We haven’t done anything’”.

Flat-out allegiance

Jeremy Corbyn has sold out at Labour conference. No, that’s not a comment on his Brexit position — The Londoner is referring to the Pop Up Idol Jeremy Corbyn, a cardboard cut-out doll that has been flying off the shelves at the City Books stand. “It’s a treat,” says Inge Sweetman, who was running the shop. It was so popular they even sold the display sample. Another item flying off the shelves, alongside books on economics and green politics, was Gina Miller’s memoir, Rise, which started selling speedily soon after yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling.

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Acland Burghley secondary in Tufnell Park hasn’t benefited from its turn in Killing Eve’s second season as the school where Niko Polastri works. The Londoner asked how much it had been paid. “Nothing. We didn’t know how big the show was going to be.” Perhaps they can ask for reparations after the show’s Emmy win on Sunday.

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Lady Hale’s spider brooch has inspired a T-shirt range. Balcony Shirts rolled out the design after the justice’s ornament caused a stir during her delivery of the Supreme Court ruling. “We’re just a small printing shop in Uxbridge,” Balcony Shirts told The Londoner. “We regularly make jokey T-shirts about politics but none have caught fire like this”.

Park show offers shelter from storm

Dave Benett/Getty Images

Despite the stormy night, some battled through to make it to the press night of Mother of Him at The Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. Tracy Ann Oberman plays a mother whose son is under house arrest for committing a heinous crime. Actors Nicola Stephenson, Sarah Parish, Indra Ove and Kate Magowan were in the audience to watch the play, which is based on real-life events.

Down by the Thames, the Quintessentially Foundation and Annabel’s hosted the 6th Annual World’s Greatest Quiz night next to St Thomas’ and raised £140,000 for Dimbleby Cancer Care. Comedian Jo Brand and presenter Claudia Winkleman were compères for the evening. And at Black Roe restaurant in Mayfair, guests played a tricky game of spot-the-difference at the launch of Donna Ida’s Cassandra jumpsuit. All the attendees — who included TV presenter Laura Whitmore, chef Gizzi Erskine and singer Frankie Bridge — were wearing the black one-piece.

SW1A

Jon “Sparkle” Ashworth and Angela Rayner belted out Pulp’s Common People to an ecstatic crowd (who loved Rayner’s dig at Boris Johnson) at last night’s Mirror conference party in Brighton. Egos were deflated, though, when a young chap approached them afterwards to say: “You remind me of my mum and dad on a night out.” Rayner joked to The Londoner: “I’m better at politics than I am at singing — and that’s setting the bar low”.

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A biblical deluge in Westminster followed the Supreme Court ruling. Sky presenter Kay Burley joked it was raining on the PM’s parade — while rain poured through a ceiling into Portcullis House.

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The Labour Students’ conference disco went ahead last night, despite Momentum founder Jon Lansman’s attempt to abolish the organisation. Unhappy Lansmanites laid a wreath outside. “Comradely behaviour to round off this unity conference...” said a Labour source.

Anderson falls for the Iron Lady

This should steady the ship: Margaret Thatcher is back. Gillian Anderson — who plays the Iron Lady in the new season of The Crown — shared a picture of her trailer door from the set yesterday. The door bears the number 12 and Thatcher’s name with the caption “Btw...”.

Anderson has embraced the role. “It’s helpful for an actor to fall in love with the character you’re playing,” she has said. “Regardless of what your opinion might be of them, if it’s a historical character, particularly. So I have.”

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