Actress Georgia Scholes has spoken about a distressing night in Manchester, claiming she and her sister were secretly filmed from beneath their dresses while walking up a staircase.
Scholes, who plays Erin Fischer in the ITV crime drama The Bay, described the alleged incident on social media after a night out with her sister in Manchester. According to her account, the pair noticed two men following closely behind them after leaving a restaurant in the city's Spinningfields area. She later realised that one of the men appeared to be holding a mobile phone in a position that allowed it to record underneath their clothing.
The actress said the experience left her in tears and turned an enjoyable evening into a deeply upsetting one.
Georgia Scholes Noticed Two Men Following Them
According to Scholes' account, the incident happened after she and her sister left a restaurant in Spinningfields shortly after 8.30 pm.
The sisters were walking up a staircase when Scholes said she noticed two men directly behind them. She described the pair as walking unusually close, particularly because she and her sister appeared to be the only people using the stairs at the time.
Scholes said she then noticed one of the men holding a mobile phone down by his leg, with the device positioned towards her and her sister. She became suspicious about what the man was doing and later moved behind the pair. According to her account, she then saw what appeared to be footage being recorded as they walked up the stairs.
The star realised the phone appeared to have been positioned beneath her dress. She confronted the man and asked him to delete the footage, according to her account.
Actress Says She Asked for Help
Scholes said the man did not respond as she had hoped and continued walking away.
She and her sister followed him, repeatedly asking him to delete the recording. Scholes said she was crying and attempted to get help from security staff and people nearby.
According to her account, they initially struggled to get someone to intervene. The situation changed when a bouncer from nearby venue Be At One became involved. Reports say the bouncer helped detain one of the men while police were contacted.
Scholes said police later arrived and located the second man as well. She and her sister were later told in the early hours of the morning that both men were in custody.
The reported arrests should be distinguished from any finding of guilt. The available reports describe the men's detention following the alleged incident, rather than establishing that they were convicted of an offence.
Scholes Says the Incident Ruined Her Night
The experience left Scholes extremely upset and ruined her night. She also described the difficulty she and her sister faced while trying to get help, saying they had been asking security staff and people nearby for assistance before the bouncer intervened.
Her account has since prompted messages of support from followers, with people expressing sympathy for Scholes and her sister. The incident has also renewed attention on the issue of upskirting, a form of non-consensual filming that can constitute a criminal offence in England and Wales.
What Is Upskirting?
Upskirting generally refers to secretly taking a photograph or recording beneath someone's clothing without their consent.
In England and Wales, specific offences covering upskirting came into force on 12 April 2019 under legislation introduced following a campaign led by Gina Martin, who had publicly described her own experience of being secretly photographed at a music festival.
The law can apply where equipment is operated beneath or around a person's clothing without consent for purposes including obtaining sexual gratification or causing humiliation, distress or alarm.
The government has said the most serious form of the offence can carry a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment.
Whether particular conduct meets the legal definition of an offence depends on the circumstances and evidence in each case.
Georgia Scholes' Role in The Bay
Scholes is best known for playing Erin Fischer in ITV's crime drama The Bay. She joined the series in its third season, which aired in 2022. Her character, Erin Fischer, is the daughter of Chris Fischer, played by Barry Sloane.
Scholes has also appeared in Hollyoaks and the short film Violence Within, among other acting credits. Her recent comments, however, have focused attention on her account of the alleged Manchester incident rather than her television career.
For now, the details surrounding the alleged filming are based primarily on Scholes' account and subsequent media reports. Police involvement and the reported arrests have been included in coverage of the incident, but those facts should not be interpreted as establishing criminal guilt.
Scholes' decision to speak publicly has nevertheless brought renewed attention to non-consensual filming and the protections available under UK law.
