Fortnum & Mason apologises for Paralympians party ‘snub’
Fortnum & Mason has apologised to Paralympians who were not invited to an after-party for Olympians after the King met Paris medallists at Buckingham Palace.
The famous upmarket London department store said it was “truly sorry” and blamed a “failure of communication” for the omission.
Team GB and Paralympics GB athletes were at the palace on Thursday to celebrate their success in Paris this summer.
But visually impaired sprinter Zac Shaw said he had not received an email to the after-party after an Olympian friend of his mentioned the event to him.
Fortnum & Mason is one of London’s most famous department stores. Pic: PA
His partner, Paralympic sprinter Ali Smith, also searched her emails but could not find an invite – so the pair assumed it was only for Olympians.
Mr Shaw, who won silver in the mixed 4x100m and bronze in the 100m T12 in Paris, said it was “hurtful” and showed how the two sets of athletes are treated differently.
He said: “For me yesterday being under the same roof as the King and all the Olympic and Paralympic medallists and in one place, but the Paralympic medallists have to get in the car and drive home while the Olympic medallists get to enjoy a four-hour after-party with champagne bottles with their name engraved into it. It’s just unfair.”
A spokesman for Fortnum & Mason apologised and said a separate event for Paralympians was “in the works” and would be announced soon, according to a screenshot on Mr Shaw’s Instagram.
“We are really sorry that we could not do both of the planned parties together, which would have been our preference, but we are restricted on space and simply could not have fitted everyone in at the same time,” the message said.
“However, there has been a failure of communication on our part here and we are truly sorry. We really hope to make it up to you when we get everyone together to celebrate.
“Thank you for your patience and we will get back to you personally with the details soonest.”
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But Mr Shaw said the response was “not good enough at all” and made it worse. He said he had contacted the store privately at first but went public when it did not respond.
A later statement from Piccadilly-based Fortnum & Mason – which is over 300 years old – said it had “good intentions” but admitted it had made a mistake.
It added: “We have been planning for, and of course will be honoured to host, a ParalympicsGB celebratory event at Fortnum’s and an invitation to do that has been made, but we do understand the hurt we have caused by not making our plans clear to the athletes earlier.”
Gary Lineker will step down as host of Match Of The Day at the end of the season, the BBC has confirmed.
The 63-year-old will continue to host coverage of the FA Cup in 2025/26 and the World Cup in 2026, the broadcaster announced.
Lineker will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast while his The Rest Is Football podcast, which features BBC pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, will now be hosted on BBC Sounds.
The former England footballer said: “I’m delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen.”
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “Gary is a world-class presenter, and we’re delighted that he’ll lead our coverage of the next World Cup and continue to lead our live coverage of the FA Cup.
“After 25 seasons Gary is stepping down from MOTD. We want to thank him for everything he has done for the show, which continues to attract millions of viewers each week.
“He’ll be hugely missed on the show but we’re so happy he is staying with the BBC to present live football.”
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Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and Lineker, who present the podcast The Rest Is Football. Pic: AP
Lineker has hosted the Premier League highlights show since 1999, after his predecessor Des Lynam moved to ITV.
He is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts, which produces popular shows such as The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Entertainment, as well as his own football podcast.
The company, founded in 2014, claims to be the UK’s largest independent podcast firm and said in September its podcasts had been downloaded more than 380 million times so far this year.
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Lineker has been the BBC’s highest-paid star in recent years for his work on shows including Match Of The Day and Sports Personality Of The Year, as well as coverage of major tournaments including World Cups and European Championships.
He received about £1.35m during the 2023-24 financial year, according to the BBC’s most recent figures.
It is unclear who will take over from Lineker on Match Of The Day.
Former Tottenham Hotspur footballer Jermaine Jenas had at one point been considered to be his natural successor but he was sacked from the BBC in August over claims of inappropriate behaviour.
Lineker enjoyed a successful career as a striker, winning 80 caps for England, before moving into broadcasting.
The Queen will return to public duties today after her chest infection but will miss the Gladiator II premiere on Wednesday to aid her recovery, a royal source has said.
The 77-year-old was forced to withdraw from her duties last week and missed the weekend’s Remembrance Day commemoration events.
Queen Camilla will attend a Booker Prize reception at Clarence House on Tuesday, but will meet guests for a shorter period than planned.
She will also still attend a Palace reception with the King on Wednesday to celebrate the TV and film industry, but she is not expected to be present for the entirety of the engagement.
The changes to her diary are understood to have been made to protect and prioritise her continued recovery, with royal doctors keen to prevent any setback from a seasonal illness.
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William and Kate at a Remembrance event. Pic: PA
It comes after Prince William said 2024 has been “brutal” and “probably the hardest year in my life”, due to his wife and father’s cancer diagnoses.
Speaking on a tour of Cape Town this week, he said: “Honestly? It’s been dreadful.
“It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.”
Discussing how his relatives have coped with their health struggles, he added: “I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.
“But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”
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