BBC weather forecaster Georgie Palmer was left humiliated after she and her family were ordered off of a SunExpress flight from London Gatwick. Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Monday, the TV star opened up about the 'disgusting' incident.
Speaking with Charlotte Hawkins and Richard Madeley, Georgie, 49, reflected on her poor treatment, which occurred when she asked passengers to avoid eating peanuts during a flight to Dalman, Turkey.
A mum of two, Georgie was travelling with her husband Nick Sollom, 48, and daughters Rosie, 12, and Annie, 14, at the time. Explaining that her youngest, Rosie, has a peanut allergy, which can result in a "terrifying" case of anaphylaxis, the BBC star had attempted to get in contact with the airline pre-flight but found it "impossible" to get through.
Forced to ask staff if they could make a public announcement and notify passengers, Georgie was shocked when the Captain refused and took matters into her own hands. After politely asking nearby passengers to share the family's request, the Captain ordered Georgie and her family to leave the plane.
"The Captain was the only person on that plane who displayed aggressive behaviour. He was screaming and shouting at me from the cockpit," said Georgie. "He refused to come out and talk to us and give us a reasonable explanation, his behaviour was so appalling."
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After exiting the plane, Georgie and her family managed to board an EasyJet flight to their Turkish holiday resort, but the incident has left Georgie determined to enact change in the airline industry. "There's a deep lack of clarity between airlines about policies about allergies," declared the 49-year-old.
Following the incident, SunExpress has responded to Georgie's claims, stating: "We take the safety of our passengers very seriously. Shortly after boarding our flight from London Gatwick, the passenger [Georgie's husband, Nick Sollom] raised a concern about one of his family group having a serious peanut allergy and requested an announcement to other passengers.
"We refrain from making these kinds of announcements as, like many other airlines, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment on our flights, nor prevent other passengers from bringing food items containing allergens on board.
"Due to the insistent behaviour of the passenger to others on board that they should not consume nuts, the captain decided it would be safest if the family did not travel on our flight. When this was explained to the passenger, he did exhibit aggressive behaviour towards our crew members and tried to gain access to the cockpit.
"To ensure the safety of our crew and our passengers on board, we cannot tolerate aggressive and unruly behaviour on our flights."
During her interview, Georgie was asked about the airline's statement, and called it "nonsense," adding that the 200 people on the plane, as well as the Gatwick flight crew, could attest that her husband was not aggressive.
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