Men’s night out
How a female reporter went undercover as a hostess at a male-only fundraiser and brought down a posh London charity
both at the main event and at more discreet — and reportedly creepy — “afterparties”. One thing was different this year. Among the hostesses were two infiltrators, a female journalist from the Financial Times named Madison Marriage and a woman working with her who secured hostess jobs and went undercover to report on the event.
The FT scoop quickly became the lead story in Britain yesterday, dominating the afternoon front pages, news websites and social media spheres.
The two children’s hospitals that received donations from the event announced they were “shocked” and “sorry” and were returning the money.
By midmorning local time, the first high-profile head had rolled — that of David Meller, the event’s chairman. He stepped down within hours as nonexecutive director of Britain’s Department for Education, even as other donors and recipients scurried to distance themselves.
By early evening, the Presidents Club charity had announced it would also close down and distribute any funds left in its accounts to needy causes — if they could find any takers.
The first giveaway of the seedy behaviour that would unfold at the secretive dinner came while the reporters and other hostesses were being prepped.
The job requirements included “tall, thin and pretty”, the Financial
A number of men stood with the hostesses while waiting for smoked salmon starters to arrive. Others remained seated and yet insisted on holding the hands of their hostesses . . . a prelude to pulling the women into their laps. Financial Times report
Times’ Marriage reported.
While the dinner was black-tie only, for the hostesses it was “BLACK sexy shoes, black underwear” and “short tight black dresses”, with a “thick black belt resembling a corset”.
The agency hiring the hostesses did not say anything about groping. But they were told that the men might be “annoying”, the FT reported. “You just have to put up with the annoying men and if you can do that it’s fine,” they were told.
Their brief was simple, Marriage wrote: “Keep this mix of British and foreign businessmen, the odd lord, politicians, oligarchs, property tycoons, film producers, financiers and chief executives happy — and fetch drinks when required.
“A number of men stood with the hostesses while waiting for smoked salmon starters to arrive,” the report of the night began. “Others remained seated and yet insisted on holding the hands of their hostesses . . . a prelude to pulling the women into their laps.”
As burlesque dancers performed on a stage, a 19-year-old hostess was asked by a “guest nearing his seventies” whether “she was a prostitute”, which she was not, according to the report, which the FT made available for free viewing behind its traditional paywall.
One hostess recounted to the FT a scene of “braying men” fondling her bottom, stomach and legs. Another guest “lunged at her to kiss her”.
“According to the accounts of multiple women working that night, groping and similar abuse was seen across many of the tables in the room,” the FT reported.
Hostesses said men “repeatedly” put their hands up their skirts, with one exposing himself to a woman during the festivities.
Hostesses who seemed unenthusiastic were prodded by “an enforcement team” to interact with the guests.
“Outside the women’s toilets,” the FT said, “a monitoring system was in place: women who spent too long were called out and led back to the ballroom.”
One unnamed “society figure” grabbed a hostess “by the waist, pulled her in against his stomach and declared: ‘I want you to down that