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Brenda Edwards recalled having her drink spiked when she was 19 years old during a night out in London.
The former X Factor star, 52, revealed she ‘blacked out’ when her non-alcoholic drink was spiked and was ‘wary’ of speaking up about the incident in case nobody believed her.
Appearing on Loose Women on Friday, Brenda shared that because of the scary incident that occurred in her teens, she now always keeps her ‘wits about her’ whenever she is out in a bar or venue.
Scary: Loose Women star Brenda Edwards recalled ‘blacking out’ after her non-alcoholic drink was spiked during a night out in London when she was 19 years old
Brenda and the rest of the panel had been discussing incidences of women being spiked out at nightclubs, with increased reports detailing how women are now being targeted and spiked with needles.
She recalled her own experience as she explained that her drink was spiked when she was younger, causing her to black out.
‘When I was 19 I went out to London. I’m from Luton and I got on a train, I went out to London and my drink was spiked. I wasn’t drinking alcohol. I was drinking, just, you know, a soft drink.
‘I blacked out didn’t know what was going on, didn’t know what had actually happened. And for me, it’s more of a thing of, you know, when I go out now, and ever since then, I have my wits about me.’
Concerned: The former X Factor star shared her experience on Loose Women on Friday as she said she feared nobody would believe her if she reported the spiking without evidence
Despite the incident happening over 30 years ago, Brenda said she now takes extra precautions when she’s out.
‘Even when I go into a venue, I’ll have my back against the wall so I can see what’s coming. You can’t stop this thing, like you’re saying, there is no prevention,’ she said.
Brenda added that, for her, her biggest worry was reporting being spiked and nobody believing her because she couldn’t prove it.
‘I think for me what I was wary of was saying something [to somebody] and nobody actually listening to me because I don’t have any proof and I don’t have any evidence.’
Suggesting what she thinks needs to be done to prevent such incidences from happening, Brenda said: ‘These clubs need to be rigid with their patting down and asking these people to turn out their pockets.
‘But also as a mother of a son, I’d raise my son to have respect for others and women.’
Action needed: Brenda urged for nightclubs to be more rigorous with their searches and checking people’s pockets ahead of entry
Having their say: The conversation led to the panel reviewing a video released by Scottish police in their campaign to crack down on violence against women
The conversation led to the panel reviewing a video released by Scottish police in their campaign to crack down on violence against women. It shows different males appearing on screen, urging men to consider their behaviour towards women, warning: ‘Most guys don’t look in the mirror and see a problem, but it’s staring us in the face.
‘Sexual violence begins long before you think it does. #DontBeThatGuy.’
Carol McGiffin took issue with the video as she pointed out that not every man acts in the way suggested in the video, arguing: ‘It is kind of assuming an element of guilt before… most blokes would not dream of doing things like that.’
Katie Piper, however, said she felt the video delivers a ‘powerful’ message.
‘I see that as a powerful video that is opening up a normal discussion saying don’t normalise this culture. If you’re not that way inclined you won’t see yourself in that video,’ she claimed.
Support: Katie Piper insisted the video shared a ‘powerful message’ as it sparks a conversation and urges men to think twice about their behaviour towards women
Katie went on to share that just the evening before appearing on Loose Women she was left feeling uncomfortable by a man, as she recalled taking a taxi from the station after finishing work.
‘Just yesterday, I got off the train and got a taxi from the train station. Outside of work I wear no makeup, I kind of dress like a 12-year-old teenager. I’m in my puffer jacket, my hair’s a ponytail, [I’m] five foot two, so I look like a young teenager in the back of the taxi with this guy,’ she said.
Sharing why she had felt uncomfortable, Katie explained: ‘He asked me an instant question, “The address I’m taking you to, is that your home?”‘
Katie said she told the driver it was a friend’s house, with him then questioning her on where she lives. When she replied London, wanting to keep her answer vague, he pushed to know a more specific location.
‘He carries on and on, asked me where I live. Who do I live with? Is there anyone at my home? So, I ended up saying to him, “I don’t want to tell you where I live, okay?” and I left it at that,’ she recalled.
Uncomfortable: Katie then shared an incidence which left her feeling uncomfortable when a taxi driver persistently quizzed her on where she lived on her way home from work
‘He went back to other small talk and then he tried to bring it back and he knew I was uncomfortable… that’s not OK to persist when someone tells you no.
Katie had shared what happened during the taxi ride on Twitter, as she she posted: ‘In legal licensed cab (not Uber) going from a station to a friends home address. Driver constantly asking me where I live, not relevant to the journey and I’ve politely declined to answer several times. This kind of persistence is not ok.’
While she said many women reached out to her and said they’ve experienced similar situations, Katie pointed out that a handful of men called her out for being ‘over the top’.
When asked if she was OK by one concerned follower, Katie shared that she decided to leave the taxi and walked the rest of the way to her friend’s house.
‘This kind of persistence is not OK’: The mum-of-two recalled how the driver continued to question her even after she asked him not to, prompting her to leave the taxi and walk instead
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