TalkTV host declares 'London is grim' after being attacked in attempted robbery

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Alex Phillips was left in tears after the incident
Alex Phillips was left in tears after the incident

TalkTV host Alex Phillips says she was attacked in an attempted robbery on London's Oxford Street.

The TV presenter has opened up on the incident which happened in broad daylight. She took to her social media where she told her followers she was targeted as she walked along London's busy Oxford Street on Tuesday (9 January) morning. A;ex said a thug grabbed her back and knocked her phone out of her hand.

She was left in tears and decided to share the experience just before hosting her Cross Talk show with Kevin O'Sullivan. Posting on X - formerly Twitter - Alex said: "A little s*** on a bike just tried to mug me on Oxford St in broad daylight. He grabbed at my bag and karate chopped my arm as I was holding my phone.

TalkTV host declares 'London is grim' after being attacked in attempted robbery qhiddkiquzideqinvAlex made an appearance on TV after the attempted robbery (Talk TV)

"It fell to the floor meaning he'd have to get off his bike to snatch it, so he sped off. Nobody blinked an eye. London is grim." She also opened up on her experience on her TalkTV show. Alex said: She said: “So I was going to the Samsung shop to send my phone to have a check, because the screen's gone a bit funny. I then went to grab a bite to eat between shows, and I'm walking down Oxford Street at 11:30 in the morning, broad daylight, and I feel a yank and someone's like, going for my handbag.

“The phone's in my hand like this [holds phone]. And this kid on a bike karate chopped my arm, causing the phone to fall to the floor, which in a way wass good because then he would have needed to get off his bike to pick it up. So he just sped off and I remember shouting ‘You beep!’ after him.

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“But then after about 20 seconds when it sort of, you know, settled in what had happened, I had a bit of a panic attack, if I'm honest. I couldn't breathe and I got a bit tearful. Eleven thirty in the morning on Oxford Street?” Alex played a key role in close friend Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, as she represented the party in the European Parliament after the 2019 euro elections.

She has since become a member of Richard Tice's Reform Party. Last week fellow TalkTV host Julia Hartley-Brewer came under fire for being ‘unprofessional and rude’ to a guest. The 55-year-old broadcaster was discussing recent events in the Middle East with a guest named Dr Mustafa Barghouti, who is a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

He was on her TalkTV show when discussion descended into an argument as 70-year-old Dr Barghouti began to criticise Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Julia hit out at her guest, arguing: “We haven’t got time to do the entire history of Benjamin Netanyahu who is not a popular figure in Israel.” She also explained it was not her job to defend Netanyahu and was frustrated that her guest was repeating himself.

She argued: “Please don’t say that again, we don’t have time for that, you’ve made that point five times already. I don’t know what you have time for. For the love of god let me finish a sentence man… Maybe you’re not used to women talking, I don’t know, but I’d like to finish the sentence!”

Social media users criticised Julia's comments as one unimpressed viewer wrote: “Omg!!! Zero professionalism, she’s so disrespectful and rude, and shamelessly projecting on the man and accusing him to be sexist." Another wrote: "I have never seen a presenter this bad. I admire this man and his patience with her impoliteness," while a third added: "That was so frustrating to watch." "Wow. 'Maybe you are not used to women talking.' Just wow," someone else said.

Mia O'Hare

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