Opinions: Has a woman ever sexually harassed you?: BR guard Jan Hustwitt was sacked last week for harassing a male driver

Saturday 24 September 1994 23:02 BST
Comments

GEORGE BEST, ex-footballer: Yes, on many occasions, and it's almost always a bloody nuisance unless they are very beautiful.

OLIVER JAMES, psychologist: Once I went out socialising with a number of colleagues and we all got incredibly pissed. One of the women from my office said that she wanted to go dancing. However once inside the cab she asked if we could go back to my flat instead. As soon as we got in the door she started literally tearing my clothes off. I was both unable to resist and unable to perform. In the morning I felt uncomfortable and angry. I'm sure that if the situation had happened to a woman there would have been quite a lot of grief as a result.

TED REYNELL, hairdresser: Of course. Let's face it 80 per cent of the men in this business are gay and those who aren't are married or have commitments. But I'm straight and not married so it happens.

TONY MORTIMER, member of East 17 pop group: Not sexually harassed as such. But sometimes fans can get very possessive. But when they start knocking on your front door at all hours just to say hello, look at you and then follow you around it can feel like sexual harassment.

JASON STATHAM, male model: No, I haven't. Maybe it's because I look a bit scarey since I'm big and bald.

GRANT WESTALL-REECE, estate agent: I worked for an estate agent as a negotiator when I was 18. My 30-year-old manager liked young boys and kept buying me presents on her expenses. It was wonderful. Then she invited me round for dinner. After the meal she tried to jump on me, so I didn't stay for the coffee and legged it. Shortly afterwards I asked for a transfer: I didn't give the reason, but I got it.

JOHNNY VAUGHAN, television presenter: Yes, by a Swiss businesswoman when I was 19 and working at Blazer, a men's clothing store in Bond Street. She picked out loads and loads of clothes - leather jackets and real goodies - all in my size. I don't know who she was buying them for, she just said, 'He's about your size.' Then she refused to buy the clothing unless I delivered it personally to her hotel at 7 o'clock that evening. She was really coming on to me and it was frightening. She looked like a dragon and was about 55. I said I couldn't, and she asked why. I felt so harassed and inadequate and just couldn't say, 'Because I know what you're after, love.' In the end she didn't buy anything and walked out.

JOHN SHUTTLEWORTH, singer-songwriter comedian: after a recent performance in a day centre, some of the ladies got a bit saucy with me - crowding round my organ and demanding to know about its memory functions. I managed to defuse the situation by calmly talking to them, and asking if any of them had still got living relatives. They had to go off for their jabs anyway, but for a while it was a little hairy.

(Photograph omitted)

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