Reality TV personality Henry Southan has shared a bizarre and embarrassing tale of crime after being targeted by a masked phone thief while in an O2 store. The 27-year-old Big Brother star took to his Instagram Story on Tuesday to recount the shocking but ultimately futile attempt.
A Bungled Theft in Broad Daylight
Southan explained he had been in the mobile phone shop all day upgrading his device. While he was in the middle of transferring data from his old phone to the new one, the incident unfolded. A masked man entered the shop, grabbed the box that had contained the new phone, and ran out. The crucial detail, however, was that the box was empty, with the phone already in Southan's possession.
"I felt such second-hand embarrassment for him," Southan told his followers. "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 thief an "idiot," remarking, "you just couldn't write it."
A Disturbing Trend of Celebrity Targeting
Henry Southan is, unfortunately, not the first public figure to be targeted by phone thieves in London. Bridgerton actress Genevieve Chenneour, also 27, was robbed at a Joe & The Juice on Kensington High Street on 8 February last year.
Her thief, 18-year-old prolific criminal Zacariah Boulares, was jailed for just 22 months in July last year despite a spree of offences. CCTV from the incident showed Chenneour, a former Team GB synchronised swimmer and trained boxer, bravely fighting back with the help of her then-boyfriend.
The actress revealed the thug threatened to stab her, leaving her thinking she would die. The distressing event has had lasting effects, with Chenneour admitting she no longer feels safe in London and has since moved away.
Lasting Trauma and Public Safety Fears
Speaking to LBC, Genevieve Chenneour detailed the severe impact of the robbery. "The level of anxiety putting myself even in a public space now is pretty awful," she said. She expressed concern over the short prison sentence given to Boulares and worries about what will happen upon his release.
Chenneour also highlighted a broader issue, referencing studies that show most women feel 'on edge' walking in London. She herself suffered from terrifying lucid dreams after the attack and sought help from a trauma therapist.
These two incidents, involving a bungled theft and a violent robbery, underscore a continuing problem of phone crime in the capital, affecting ordinary citizens and celebrities alike, and raising serious questions about public safety and sentencing.
