Former England rugby star Joe Marler has shared a deeply unsettling story from his childhood, revealing he was kissed on a bus by a man who was later discovered to be a murderer on the run from the police.
The Shocking Bus Incident
The incident occurred when Marler was just 12 or 13 years old, travelling on a bus to Eastbourne in East Sussex. The Celebrity Traitors finalist explained he was 'gobbing off' with friends when a stranger, who resembled the actor Oliver Reed, took offence.
The man confronted Joe, telling him to shut up. Marler, thinking he was 'hard,' told the man to 'f*** off.' The situation quickly escalated when the man moved to the back of the bus. He grabbed Joe by the throat and collar, and then, without warning, kissed him on the lips.
The Unbelievable Police Revelation
The bus driver, having witnessed the event on the bus's camera, slammed on the brakes and ejected the man. Joe reported the assault to the police, but the story took a bizarre turn a few weeks later.
When police called his father, they advised him to sit down. They explained they would not be pressing charges for the assault because, as Marler recounted, they didn't think it would 'make a difference to his life sentence for murdering his wife in Basildon.' The man had already killed his wife and was hiding out in Eastbourne at the time of the bus encounter.
From the Rugby Pitch to the Traitors' Castle
Joe Marler, who retired from rugby last year, recently appeared on the BBC's Celebrity Traitors. In the dramatic finale aired on Thursday, November 6, he was banished despite being the only player to correctly identify all three Traitors: eventual winner Alan Carr, iconic presenter Jonathan Ross, and singer-songwriter Cat Burns.
Reflecting on the strange bus event, Marler astutely noted that if you are trying to evade capture for a serious crime, you probably should not be kissing strangers on public transport. He shared this incredible story on the Happy Hour podcast, leaving hosts and listeners alike astonished.
