Reality TV personality Henry Southan has shared a bizarre and shocking story of being targeted by a masked thief while upgrading his mobile phone in a central London O2 store. The 27-year-old Big Brother star took to his Instagram Story on Tuesday to recount the brazen daylight attempt, which ended in embarrassment for the would-be criminal.
A Bungled Theft in Broad Daylight
Southan explained to his followers that he had spent a considerable time in the shop transferring data from his old device to a new one. It was during this process that a masked individual entered the store, seized the box that had contained the new phone, and fled. The crucial detail, however, was that the box was completely empty, with the phone already in Southan's possession.
"I felt such second-hand embarrassment for him," Southan told his audience. "Imagine, he's just gonna see it's an empty box, what a s**t thief he is." He added that an accomplice inside the shop was heard calling the fleeing man an "idiot," in a scene the celebrity described as something "you just couldn't write." Southan admitted the clumsy attempt gave him "the ick," suggesting the thief's execution was profoundly lacking.
A Disturbing Pattern of Celebrity Targeting
This incident is not an isolated case. Southan's experience echoes a disturbing trend of phone thieves specifically targeting well-known figures in the capital. In a notably violent case last year, Bridgerton actress Genevieve Chenneour, also 27, was attacked by a thief while walking her dog near a Joe & The Juice on Kensington High Street on February 8, 2023.
The perpetrator, 18-year-old Zacariah Boulares, was part of a ruthless spree of thefts. Despite his prolific crimes, he was jailed for just 22 months in July 2023. CCTV footage captured the moment Chenneour, a former Team GB synchronised swimmer and trained boxer, bravely fought back with the help of her then-boyfriend, Carlo Kureishi. She later revealed the assailant threatened to stab her, leaving her fearing for her life and subsequently concussed and traumatised.
Lasting Trauma and a Capital Exodus
The aftermath of the attack has had a profound and lasting impact on Chenneour's life. In an interview with LBC, she disclosed that the anxiety from the event forced her to move away from London. "The level of anxiety putting myself even in a public space now is pretty awful. I've left London. I don't feel comfortable living in London at the moment," she stated.
She expressed concern over the short sentence given to Boulares, who even gestured obscenely at the public gallery in Isleworth Crown Court, and worries about what will happen upon his release. Chenneour also highlighted a wider issue, referencing studies that show most women feel unsafe on London's streets. The actress suffered from lucid nightmares and sought trauma therapy to cope with the psychological fallout.
These two incidents, involving Henry Southan's farcical encounter and Genevieve Chenneour's terrifying assault, paint a concerning picture of personal security for public figures and residents alike in London, raising serious questions about street crime and sentencing.
