This week, Jacki and Lyle discuss a story that has dominated the headlines in the UK and all over the world - the incredibly serious allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment levelled at Egyptian billionaire businessman and former Harrods owner Mohammed Al-Fayed. Al-Fayed had owned a stake in House of Fraser, which owned Harrods, since 1984, before buying the entire company in 1985, and owning Harrods until a change of ownership in 2010. Al-Fayed himself died last August aged 94, and having been accused several times before of sexual harassment of Harrods employees, it was a BBC news report this month citing 20 women accusing him of sexual assault, with 5 of these women accusing him of rape, that ultimately led to these incredibly serious revelations. Out of respect to the, as of this week, now over 200 women who have come forward with allegations against Al-Fayed, Jacki and Lyle do not address these allegations in any great detail due to the sensitivity of the issue. Instead, our hosts address what is next for Harrods, and their current Managing Director Michael Ward as he looks to address the ongoing crisis and the impact it is having on Harrods and its employees. Jacki analyses what Harrods, and Ward, have done right so far in terms of their messaging, with Ward's quotes that Al-Fayed oversaw a 'toxic culture of secrecy and intimidation' pointing to an individual who appears intent on treating the allegations with the seriousness they warrant whilst also looking to humanise an institution that, as Lyle points out, has previously held the mantra of being somewhat elite. Lyle asks how a comms strategy in times of crisis can be affected by the involvement of the police, with Jacki emphasising that in these instances it is important to be cooperative and abide by the various rules the police will have in place regarding transparency and the sharing of information. Jacki and Lyle are careful not to speculate too readily given the circumstances, but Jacki offers one of her trademark predictions that others will be implicated in this scandal, with Lyle agreeing that is is unreasonable to believe that Al-Fayed was able to orchestrate such monstrous acts without anyone else being aware of his behaviour.

TW - much as Lyle and Jacki do not address these allegations in detail, this episode does contain references to allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and rape. Listener and viewer discretion is advised

Artwork & music by Lyle Fulton

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