Paul Whitehouse fought off a mugger who tried to snatch his card at a cash machine in Islington, an incident his wife has described publicly in a social media update.
The 68-year-old comedian was collecting medicine for his wife, Dr Mine Conkbayir, who had suffered a "bad reaction" to medical treatment. While withdrawing money, an attacker attempted to steal his card, and Whitehouse physically fought back.
Wife shares update on social media
Dr Mine Conkbayir first shared the incident on Instagram, warning others to "stay vigilant." She later posted an update alongside a selfie with Whitehouse and comedians Reece Shearsmith and Jeremy Dyson, describing the Gone Fishing star as "Undefeated and unbowed!"
She wrote: "We finally made it to Things I Took from the Dark, by horror genius @reeceshearsmith_, with the fabulous @jeremydysonofficial! Despite Friday's traumatic incident, as Paul says, 'the show must go on!' As for me - I've made my escape, as I still feel like a bag of sh**e! Some of us are clearly made of sterner stuff than others!"
Fans react with support
Fans responded with praise and relief in the comments. One wrote: "Paul is a brave chap. Respect!" Another said: "Not sure what the collective noun for a group of insanely brilliant people is, but you are all comedy heart warmers, thank you, hope you're ok, Paul, I'd like to think I'd have done the same."
A relieved fan commented: "Glad the a-hole got nothing!! Well done, Paul!!" Another joked: "I can imagine Paul doing the 'we're cockneys' bit from the Fast Show while fighting off the mugger."
Dr Mine urges vigilance
Dr Mine initially revealed she had wanted to keep the incident private before posting about it. She explained: "He did fight back and retrieved his card, with the perp scuttling away empty-handed. But that's not the point, is it? I kept shtum, out of respect, but he just came over, having taken our daughter to football, still frustrated. I asked whether he'd like me to post – he said yes – in the hope that it might help folk to be more aware when out and about."
She concluded: "So please, everyone – I don't mean to patronise, but please be super vigilant out there."
