Bianca Gascoigne details shocking sexual assault at hands of Mohamed Al Fayed and says her mother warned her of 'red flags after late Harrods boss offered to buy her a flat'

Bianca Gascoigne has bravely recounted the horror of being sexually assaulted at the hands of Mohamed Al Fayed.

More than 250 women have contacted Harrods after allegedly being sexually assaulted or raped by Mohamed, who died last year. 

The model, 38, began working for Harrods at the age of 16 as a shop floor worker, after she left school and said she initially felt 'safe' in Al Fayed's company due to having previously met him.

But Bianca was horrified after the former Harrods boss showed up unexpectedly at the flat she was staying in, ahead of a work flight.

In a new interview with MailOnline, the TV star recalls the terrifying sexual assault before managing to 'wriggle away' and how her mother Sheryl became suspicious of the businessman after he offered to buy her 16-year-old daughter a flat. 

The Celebrity SAS star said Mohamed offered her the Harrods flat to stay in so she could get to the airport quicker for a flight to Milan. 

Bianca said the businessman turned up with no warning and she 'didn't expect him in any shape or form' to be there and 'got my hand and got his privates out and tried to maneuver and push my head down', before she managed to 'wiggle free'. 

Bianca said: 'I managed to wriggle away. I don’t know how but I was honestly very lucky in that moment.

'My mum knew something had happened because over the years I’d probably given her an indication.

'When Al Fayed offered me an apartment, where the abuse stepped up a notch she actually went and had a meeting with him. 

'He offered to buy me a flat and my mum felt that it didn’t seem right – the red flags were starting to show, so she went and spoke to him, and I still didn’t manage to speak to her [about it] then.' 

Bianca only told her mother what really happened recently as she 'didn't want to upset any of the family'. 

Of her decision to go public with her ordeal, she said: 'I’ve seen comments saying, "Why did you go to his flat?" He offered me to stay there, but it was a company flat - it wasn’t his own flat.

'I was only a 16-year-old girl, yet there are some people saying that I deserved it. I’m in this big company, working for Harrods and going to work for them the next day, and he said, "Go and stay at the flat as you have a flight early doors." I didn't in a million years expect for him to turn up.

'The thousands of messages I’ve received from women saying, "Now you’ve spoken out - now I can speak out, I haven’t felt that I could. I felt very isolated and alone".

'For me it was a big risk coming out and speaking about it because there are people who are going to question it and what not, and there have been a few messages like that as well'. 

The television personality said she thinks being the daughter of footballer Paul Gascoigne helped save her in that moment and the fact she was working closely with Mohamed's Harrod's colleagues the following day.  

Bianca, who gave birth to a daughter Blake Sunshine with her ex-fiancé Arron Wright last year, said she felt compelled to speak out after seeing the bravery of other women come forward and found the strength in being a mother too. 

She said: 'The assault was a long time ago, and it’s something I’ve put in a box and to the back of my mind. However, now that I’m a mother, I’m like, "this shouldn’t happen", and it happens a lot. 

'I feel like it has made a difference  because I’ve had thousands of women message me, but whatever I can do to bring awareness and help other women speak out for this not to happen as often in the future, and for my daughter’s generation.'

She added: 'It’s not closure for me, but the whole fact of trying to change the future for my daughter. All that matters to me in my life is my daughter.' 

Bianca is the latest victim to come forward after it was announced Harrods is in the process of settling some of the 250 claims against Al Fayed.

The luxury department store said the women came forward following the release of a BBC documentary last month, which uncovered years of sexual abuse allegations against the former owner of Harrods.

The Met Police said it has recorded 60 fresh allegations, in addition to 21 women who went to police between 2005 and 2023, including claims of rape and sexual assault.

Separately to compensation claims, several law firms are also bringing a case against Harrods on behalf of dozens of victims.

Justice for Harrods Survivors group, who represent accusers, said their lawyers were working with 147 women.

In a statement released after the BBC documentary first came out, the firm said: 'We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed.

'These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We also acknowledge that during this time his victims were failed and for this we sincerely apologise.

'The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do.

'This is why, since new information came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved.

'This process is still available for any current or former Harrods employees - please go to https://response.harrods.com for further information.

'While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today, while ensuring that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future.'

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