Who’s in the Presidents Club? Guestlist for fundraiser where hostesses were groped included Peter Jones and Gino D’Acampo
THE star-studded list of guests who had seats at the scandal-hit Presidents Club charity gala came to light in the wake of the controversy.
Celebs who were put down for a spot at the male-only event included TV chef Gino D'Acampo, telly Dragons Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis.
Last week's fundraiser at the plush Dorchester Hotel was exposed on January 24 as being rife with the sexual harassment of young hostesses.
An investigation by the reported women were paid £150 to dress in skimpy black outfits and fetch drinks for 360 high-flying businessmen and celebrities at the black-tie do.
Many were groped and propositioned by guests — including one who was handed a glass of champagne and told: "Down that, rip your knickers off and dance on the table".
Who attended the dinner?
A table plan for the dinner, seen by , includes names of those who had seats reserved at the event.
It has not been confirmed if all of those on the list actually attended.
But the following guests have all confirmed they were there:
- Rami Ranger - Founder of Sun Mark, which exports British supermarket products worldwide
- Nadhim Zahawi -Tory MP for Stratford-on-Avon and minister for children and families. He said he left early.
- Michael Sulkin - Director of Aston Chase, independent estate agency
- David Walliams - Comedian and author, who was booked to host the event
- Richard Caring - British businessman who owns a string of London restaurants including The Ivy
- Makram Azar - Vice-chair of investment banking at Barclays
- Tim Steiner - Chief executive and co-founder of online grocer Ocado
- Glenn Spiro - Jeweller who runs a private atelier in Mayfair
- Dan Baldwin - TV producer and husband of This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby
- Lord Mendelsohn - Labour peer and fundraiser for the party
- Ian Urbanowski - Director of Coutts, the private bank that includes the Queen among its customers
Celebrities who had a place reserved at the dinner
It is not confirmed whether these celebrities turned up on the night, but all had tables or seats reserved for them.
They include:
- Gino D'Acampo - Celebrity TV chef
- Liam Botham – Former rugby player, son of the former England cricketer Ian Botham
- Sir Philip Green – Retail billionaire
- Peter Jones CBE – Dragons’ Den star
- Vernon Kay – Presenter - did not attend the event
- Theo Paphitis – former Dragons’ Den star
- Nathan Sugar – Grandson of Lord Alan Sugar
- Touker Suleyman – Dragons’ Den star
- Jack Sullivan – Son of the West Ham owner David Sullivan
- Alexander Spencer-Churchill – Relative of Winston Churchill
- Jimmy Tarbuck - Comedian
There is no suggestion that any of those listed are involved in the sexual harassment allegations exposed by the Financial Times.
Since the explosive report, the Presidents Club — which has collected more than £20million for charity — announced it was closing.
A statement read: "The trustees have decided that the Presidents Club will not host any further fundraising events.
"Remaining funds will be distributed in an efficient manner to children's charities and it will then be closed."
The event last Thursday was hosted by BGT favourite David Walliams who today firmly denied any involvement in the harassment claims.
He said: "Last Thursday night I hosted the Presidents Club annual charity fundraiser. I agreed to host as it is one of the biggest charity fund raising events of the year.
"I was there in a strictly professional capacity and not as a guest.
"I left immediately after I had finished my presenting on stage at 11.30pm.
"I did not witness any of the kind of behaviour that allegedly occurred and am absolutely appalled by the reports."
Who is in the Presidents Club and what is the charity dinner?
The Presidents Club Charity Dinner has been a fixture in London's high-society social calendar for 33 years.
It is highly-exclusive surrounded in secrecy.
This year's event was held at The Dorchester Hotel in central London on Thursday, January 18.
The dinner was attended by around 360 guests including politicians, businessmen, chief executives and film producers.
The elite men-only club started in the 1980s, and very little is known about its members or activities.
Following undercover reporter Madison Marriage's expose in the Financial Times the club has announced it will be folding.
Great Ormond Street Children's Charity said it would hand back donations. A spokesman said: "We would never knowingly accept donations raised in this way."
The Dorchester Hotel said it is "deeply concerned" and launched an investigation.
"We were not aware of any claims during or immediately following the charitable event," a spokeswoman added.
Artista agency, which recruited the hostesses, told the FT: "There is a code of conduct that we follow, I am not aware of any reports of sexual harassment and with the calibre of guest, I would be astonished."
On Thursday night Lord Mendelsohn left the Labour front bench after attending the disgraced gala.
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A Labour Lords spokesman said: "Jeremy Corbyn has this evening asked Lord Mendelsohn to step back from the front bench as he attended the Presidents Club dinner, and he has agreed to do so.
"Lord Mendelsohn has previously made clear that he attended part of the dinner as president of a charity that received support from the event and he had no knowledge of an after-party.
"Lord Mendelsohn did not witness any of the appalling incidents described in reports and has unreservedly condemned such behaviour."
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