Actor and comedian Paul Whitehouse was targeted in a robbery attempt while using a cash machine behind a Sainsbury’s store in Islington on Friday. The 68-year-old performer was running an errand to collect medication for his wife, Dr. Mine Conkbayir, who was recovering from an adverse reaction to treatment. Condemning the attack and wishing Whitehouse a speedy recovery, friends and fans alike have flooded to the comments of Conkbayir’s post.
Dr. Conkbayir shared the news of the encounter on social media, detailing that while her husband was mugged, he managed to resist the attacker. “He did fight back and retrieved his card, with the perp scuttling away empty-handed,” she noted in her post.
She urged the public to remain “super vigilant” and explained that her husband encouraged her to share the story in the hope that it might increase awareness for others. Well, a horrid start to the weekend, would be an understatement,” she wrote, adding that she had been encouraged by her husband to make the post “in the hope that it might help folk to be more aware when out and about”.
Known for his iconic contributions to The Fast Show and the popular series Gone Fishing, which he hosts alongside Bob Mortimer, Whitehouse received widespread support from friends and colleagues. Comedians Dawn French and Angela Barnes were among those who responded to the news, with French describing the incident as “utterly not okay” and Barnes offering her sympathies to the couple.
The Gone Fishing series, which premiered in 2018 and has earned six Bafta TV award nominations, features the two comedians sharing reflections on life while fishing. In addition to his comedy work, Whitehouse has recently been cast in the role of the Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch for the upcoming Harry Potter television adaptation on HBO.
