Wealthy businessmen have been getting away with ‘lewd and disgusting’ behaviour at the Presidents Club fundraiser for decades, says a TV star who was preyed upon while a hostess at the same event in the 1990s, MailOnline can reveal.
Horrified TV’s Bad Girls actress Nicole Faraday was told to wear a sexy black dress before she was pawed and slapped on the bum while being leered at by the lecherous captains of industry at the same Dorchester Hotel star-studded gala.
Speaking exclusively to the MailOnline, the blonde former Emmerdale and Casualty star says that she can’t believe nothing has changed two decades later – even after the #metoo campaign and sexual harassment revelations last year.
Miss Faraday – a jobbing actress at the time – said: ‘I had to look after a table of around 10 old men for the night who slapped me on the bum and called me ‘darling’.
Wealthy businessmen have been getting away with ‘lewd and disgusting’ behaviour at the Presidents Club fundraiser for decades, says TV star Nicole Faraday who was preyed upon while a hostess at the same event in the 1990s, MailOnline can reveal
Horrified TV’s Bad Girls actress Nicole Faraday (pictured with younger sister Abigail) was told to wear a sexy black dress before she was pawed and slapped on the bum while being leered at by the lecherous captains of industry
Speaking exclusively to the MailOnline, the blonde former Emmerdale and Casualty star says that she can’t believe nothing has changed two decades later (the Presidents Club gala last week) – even after the #metoo campaign and sexual harassment revelations last year
‘I was shocked as I’d never worked at an event like that before, but I got off lightly. Other girls were kissing these letchy old men and sitting on their laps.
‘In the toilets girls were saying that their guests were taking them away on their holiday they’d just won or that they were giving them their laptop prize if they would meet them elsewhere, like they were girls on the game.’
Faraday, now 39, said the 1999 event was compered by the now deceased EastEnders actor Mike Reid with household name guests in the audience including Live Aid promoter Harvey Goldsmith who was a trustee of the Presidents Club charity until two years ago.
There is no suggestion of any impropriety by Reid or Mr Goldsmith.
Describing what she was told before the event started, she said: ‘We were told that these guests, who wore wedding rings and laughed at jokes slagging off their wives, had paid a lot of money to be there and that we had to do whatever they wanted to make them happy.
‘We were also told that it would be worth our while financially if we stuck around for the after-party and that what we did with them was our business.
‘I feel sorry for the other girls who felt that they had to put up with that behaviour.
‘This was going on and accepted in the late 1990s and I can’t believe that it’s still happening now, in light of all the sex harassment scandals that we’ve been through in the last year.
Faraday, now 39, said the 1999 event was compered by the now deceased EastEnders actor Mike Reid. ‘We were told that these guests, who laughed at jokes slagging off their wives, had paid a lot of money and that we had to do whatever they wanted to make them happy’
Faraday said she was doing some modelling work when she was hired by Golden Girls Promotional Agency to work at the Dorchester Hotel auction in January 1999 for under £100
She also roped in her sister Abigail Morris – who was two years younger and staying with her while training to be a nurse – in to work with her at the function. Faraday (with Joan Rivers) said both girls were horrified by their experience
‘You’d think that they’d all know better and behave more appropriately in today’s climate.
‘But we were so appalled we left as soon as it had finished. It was more like a knocking shop than a charity fundraiser.’
The British actress was acting while doing promotional work and modelling when she was called and hired on the spot by a hostess agency to work at the Dorchester Hotel auction in January 1999 for under £100.
It is understood it was not Artista, the agency used to hire hostesses for last week’s fundraiser.
Faraday was told to wear a black, sexy cocktail dress. Confirmation was later sent in writing.
She also roped in her sister Abigail Morris – who was two years younger and staying with her while training to be a nurse – to work with her at the function.
They arrived at 4pm that day for a briefing where 100 pretty and young hostesses – who all looked like they could have been models.
She said they were told: ‘These men have paid a lot of money to be here. It’s your job to make them happy and to do whatever they ask.’
Three hours later about 300 men all aged over 50 arrived after attending a drinks reception, and Faraday was immediately shocked at the behaviour of some of the men.
She continued: ‘Girls who’d worked at the event before warned us that the men could get a bit handsy. But I’ve never seen anything like it.
‘We were told that when we heard the song lyrics, ‘Those beautiful girls’ we had to enter and parade around the room while the men ogled, leered and wolf whistled at us. Then we all had to look after a table each of about 10 men.
Faraday, who has starred in TV’s Bad Girls (above), said she was given a £30 tip by one of the younger male guests who was embarrassed by the behaviour of the other men round the table
The actress (above on the set of Emmerdale with Patrick Mower) said she was told it would be ‘finanically worth my while’ attending the after party
Once Faraday (above in Bad Girls) realised what was going on she said she and her sister left as soon as they could, meeting her boyfriend outside the hotel
‘My guests were slapping me on the bum, using any excuse to make physical contact with me, like grabbing my arm or hand while trying to get to get me to sit on their laps as they asked for whiskies and cigars generally, calling me, ‘Darling’.
‘But when I looked around, I saw girls on other tables draped all over their guests and drinking with them.
‘They were all bosses of wealthy firms, wearing wedding rings and laughing offensively at jokes they were all making at our expense and even about their wives too.
‘I was worried about my little sister. Like me she was mortified and desperate to get out of there.
‘The compere Mike Reid was cracking obscene jokes about all of us encouraging the men’s lewd behaviour, almost telling them to grab their hostesses. It was like a disgusting free-for-all.’
During the evening the girls were given a de-brief where the female organiser told the girls that it would be financially worth their while to go to the after-party in the club downstairs. It is not clear who the organiser was.
They were told: ‘Whatever money you make or whatever you do, that’s between you and your guests. But don’t forget that these guys have paid a fortune to be here and it’s down to you to show them a good time.’
Like last week’s event at the Dorchester Hotel (above), about 300 men all aged over 50 arrived after attending a drinks reception
Faraday said: ‘We were told that when we heard the song lyrics, ‘Those beautiful girls’ we had to enter and parade around the room while the men ogled, leered and wolf whistled at us.’ Similar claims were made about last week’s gala
Nicole added: ‘It was like they were encouraging prostitution.
‘My sister and I refused to stick around once the gala had finished. We couldn’t wait to get out of there and luckily my boyfriend was waiting outside to pick us up.
‘One of my slightly younger male guests thought the evening was completely distasteful too and apologised for the men’s behaviour giving me a £30 tip.
‘He said he was glad that I wasn’t sticking around because he thought I had more sense than some of the other girls.
‘Working at the President’s Club gala was such a disgusting experience that I never agreed to do another event like it. It put me off for life.’
In a statement responding to the claims made about last week’s event, the Dorchester said it had a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment of guests or employees.
A spokesman said: ‘We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations regarding the Presidents Club Charitable Trust event that was held at our hotel.
‘We do not tolerate any form of harassment as expressed in our Code of Conduct and we do not support any events that appear to condone any form of misconduct.
‘We will be reviewing our events contracts going forward to reinforce our guidelines for outside contributors and suppliers, and will do our utmost to prevent unacceptable behaviour on our premises.’
The Presidents Club said: ‘The allegations will be investigated fully and promptly and appropriate action taken.’