Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England footballer Paul Gascoigne, has shared her harrowing experience of an alleged sexual assault by Mohamed Al Fayed when she was just 16 and working at Harrods. In an interview with Sky’s “The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee,” Gascoigne opened up about how she had remained silent for so long due to feelings of “embarrassment and shame.”

The 37-year-old model and reality TV star described Fayed, who owned the luxury department store until 2010, as someone who had initially created a false sense of security for her. “He used to tell me how much of a bad father my dad was because he’d come into the store drunk,” she recalled. “He suggested that I should see him as a father figure instead.”

Gascoigne said that her early interactions with Fayed had left her feeling comfortable around him, as he would often charm her family with gifts. However, that sense of safety was shattered one evening when he invited her to stay at Harrods’ Park Lane apartment before a work-related flight. “To my shock, he showed up at the apartment. I was gobsmacked, utterly shell-shocked,” she recounted.

What followed was an ordeal marked by aggressive advances. “He sat me down on the sofa and was forceful with his touching and kissing. He exposed himself and tried to maneuver my hand. When that didn’t work out, he attempted to force my head into his lap. Somehow, I managed to escape,” she said, reflecting on the traumatic experience. “I think maybe him knowing my parents might have saved me in that moment, but it was horrific.”

Gascoigne expressed that her fear of losing her job kept her silent for years, revealing, “He told me if I said anything, I would be fired, and that scared me.” She now looks back with compassion for her younger self, wishing she could have protected her.

Motivated to speak out now, she emphasized the importance of raising awareness to prevent similar situations for future generations, including her own daughter. “I want to stand for women and hopefully make a change so that in the future, my daughter won’t have to go through something like this. It needs to be talked about, and these predators should not get away with their actions.”

In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for Harrods stated, “We want to offer our assistance with any new or existing inquiries the Metropolitan police receive regarding accusations about Fayed. Harrods is in direct communication with the Metropolitan police to ensure we are supporting their inquiries.”