Paul Whitehouse has received an outpouring of support from his celebrity friends after being mugged on a London street. The 68-year-old Gone Fishing star was running an errand for his wife when he was attacked at a cash machine in Islington, north London.
The thief attempted to snatch Paul's bank card on Friday night (October 16), but he fought back and managed to keep hold of his card. The mugger fled "empty-handed".
Celebrity messages of support
Among those sending messages were comedian Dawn French, who wrote that the incident was "utterly not okay". Comedian Angela Barnes said it was a "horrible thing to happen" and that she was "sending love" to him and his wife.
ITV star Lorraine Kelly wrote: "I'm so sorry" alongside a heart emoji, and Peep Show star Jim Howick added: "Oh no!! What a horrible thing! Big love x".
Wife's account of the incident
Paul's wife Dr Mine took to Instagram to explain what happened. She wrote: "Well, a horrid start to the weekend would be an understatement. Yesterday, I had a bad reaction to some treatment, which has left me feeling rather rotten."
"So last night, Paul dashed out to get me some meds. He was mugged on Essex Road (Islington) at the cashpoint beside the Sainsbury's Local. 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."
Paul's condition and next steps
Dr Mine, who married Paul in 2019, replied to one commenter to give an update on Paul, writing: "He's just p****d off. Nobody helped. Still, he's okay. We just wanted to make folk aware."
She said Paul is "considering" reporting the incident to the police, and said: "It happened to me a couple of years ago. Not one person helped, even when I asked. It wasn't even 10am!"
