The Bay star Georgia Scholes speaks out after ‘horrendous’ upskirting ordeal in Manchester
Georgia Scholes, the 25-year-old actress recognised for her portrayal of Erin Fischer in ITV’s crime drama The Bay, has spoken out about a distressing upskirting incident that left her in tears over the weekend.
The actress, who joined the show in its third series and has featured across multiple seasons, took to Instagram to describe what happened during a Saturday evening out in Manchester with her 22-year-old sister Ale.
The siblings had been in the Spinningfields area, where they had gone to watch a friend compete in a boxing match, before leaving a restaurant shortly after 8.30pm.
It was then that two men began acting suspiciously as the sisters made their way up the steps towards Deansgate.
Georgia Scholes has spoken out after a distressing upskirting incident during a night out in Manchester
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INSTAGRAM/GEORGIA SCHOLES
Describing the unsettling encounter on Instagram, Ms Scholes recalled that the pair of men followed them up the staircase, pressing unnervingly close, practically shoulder to shoulder, despite the sisters being the only other people on the steps.
She noted how peculiar their proximity felt at the time, writing: “They walked in front and I said to my sister that something wasn’t right.
“One of the males had his phone in his hand, held down by his leg, angled towards us. My heart quite literally sank.”
After moving behind the men, the actress spotted that one of their phones had been recording throughout the entire walk up the stairs.
The Bay actress said the incident left her in tears and questioning her ‘faith in humanity’
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ITV
The reason for their uncomfortably close positioning suddenly became clear.
“He’d recorded up my dress,” she wrote.
Ms Scholes said she immediately challenged the man, but he sped up and refused to delete the footage despite repeated demands from both sisters.
The pair then attempted to pursue one of the suspects, seeking assistance from security staff and passers-by to contact the police.
Their pleas, however, went unanswered, as nobody stepped in to help.
It was only when they reached the bar Be At One that a bouncer agreed to intervene, holding one of the men until officers arrived on the scene.
Police then set about tracking down the second suspect, who had been in possession of the recorded footage.
At 1.30 am, Ms Scholes and her sister received word from police confirming that both men had been taken into custody.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms Scholes expressed deep sadness at how the evening had been destroyed.
“Our night was over, tarnished and ruined… sad,” she wrote.
“I didn’t get a single picture of me being Georgia, having fun and being with no responsibilities other than me.”
She added: “Sad because my faith in humanity has gone, faith in where I come from and my people has gone.”
Ms Scholes said two men were later taken into custody following the incident
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INSTAGRAM/GEORGIA SCHOLES
The actress also highlighted how vulnerable the experience made her feel, noting that even whilst sober, “no one is safe.”
Supporters flooded the comments with messages of solidarity, with one writing: “That’s horrendous. I’m sending so much love to you and your sister.”
Another added: “Sending love…sorry this happened.”
A third person penned: “I’m so so sorry Georgia! Sending you love. Praying there’s more of them bouncers that helped you in the world !! So sorry you had to go through that.”
Upskirting has been a specific criminal offence in England and Wales since 2019, following a prominent campaign by activist Gina Martin after she was targeted at a music festival.
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