This Morning star steps down as her boyfriend is hunted over acid attack
FERNE McCann is taking ‘time off’ from presenting ITV’s This Morning as her boyfriend is hunted by police over an acid attack, it was announced last night.
The 26-year- old also wiped photographs of Arthur Collins from social media – fuelling speculation that the couple had split.
Collins, 25, was last night being sought by detectives after 20 people were injured by a dangerous substance at east London club Mangle. Two remain in hospital in a serious condition after the toxic liquid was thrown in the early hours of Monday.
An ITV source said: ‘ In light of recent events, Ferne’s management have asked if she can take some time off This Morning.’ It is believed the showbusiness presenter had no upcoming appearances scheduled on the show.
Miss McCann had days earlier claimed she wanted to marry Collins. The former The Only Way Is Essex star told OK! magazine: ‘We’ve spoken about our wedding. We want to get married on the beach. I want it to be a party and a celebration.’
She added that they would soon be moving in together, saying: ‘ We spend every night together anyway. Moving in is definitely the next step. And I know that seems a bit rushed but when you know, you know.’ The pair were in an on-off relationship last summer after meeting through picture sharing website Instagram, but the romance soon drew to a close.
After the split, Miss McCann appeared on TV series Celebs Go Dating – but rekindled her relationship with scaffolder Collins following the show. They were last month pictured on a romantic trip to Dubai.
However Miss McCann yesterday tried to distance herself from the fugitive after police continued to appeal for him to come forward. Her spokesman said: ‘She was not with Arthur on Sunday night and has no direct knowledge of the events. She wants to know the truth and urges Arthur to attend a police station immediately.’
Police have warned the public not to approach Collins, whose £1million home in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, was raided on Tuesday night.
Officers are said to have found cannabis plants and firearms. A man aged 54 and a 52-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis. They were later released from custody under investigation.
It is not the first time Collins has been embroiled in controversy. He has previously posted photos online of himself beside balloons – often used for inhal- ing laughing gas – and has boasted about drug use.
Collins is also believed to have been involved in a brawl in Ibiza in 2013 in which several people were injured. But in her magazine interview, Miss McCann – who has also appeared on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! – said he had changed.
She said: ‘He’s a very good boy. Those Facebook posts [about class-A drugs] were nine years ago. We all did silly things when we were teenagers.’
Footballer Jamie O’Hara yesterday appeared to criticise Miss McCann’s choice of partner, writing on Twitter: ‘What is with these girls that wanna go with these wannabe gangsters, be with someone you’d want your daughter to be with.’
He made the comments after his cousin Sadie Wright was injured in the club attack.
Others hurt include Australian model Isobella Fraser, 22, who had third-degree burns to her back and arms, and her 20-year-old sister Prue.