Strictly Come Dancing professional Michelle Tsiakkas has been left ‘traumatised’ after she was mugged in broad daylight while on her way to the dentist in Central London
Michelle Tsiakkas, the Strictly Come Dancing pro, was left “traumatised” after her phone was snatched in broad daylight. The 29-year-old dancer was navigating her way to a new dentist in Central London one morning when a man on an e-bike grabbed her mobile from her hands, prompting her to warn others to be “super careful” while using their phones in public.
During her chat on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain, the star, who has started rehearsals for this year’s series, recounted the incident to hosts Ed Balls and Kate Garraway: “I was on my way to the dentist, it was a new dentist, I hadn’t been there before, it was early morning around 9am. Took my phone out and about five to 10 seconds of me taking it out, it was grabbed.
“I’m generally quite aware as a person, I look around me. But you just can’t predict these things and this is why I would advise everyone to be super careful. Even when you think you’re aware of your surroundings, these criminals are professionals, they come out of nowhere and your phone is gone.”
Her story echoes that of other celebrities from the popular BBC dance show who have faced similar thefts.
In a heartfelt appeal for vigilance, she advised: “My advice would be if you want to use your phone, pop into a shop, look at directions, send the message, come back out. This is what I do now after my own personal experience. I was quite traumatised, actually, yeah, because it’s a shock.”
The TV star recalled “losing the strength in her legs”, reports the Mirror. She said: “You don’t expect it, it’s an invasion of your personal space.”
She described her reaction, saying: “When it happened, I felt like I’d lost the strength the in my legs. I think I screamed at him as well. It was early morning, so these lovely two ladies came to help me out and gave me their phones.”
Michelle’s immediate concern was securing her personal information, leaving her with no time to report the incident once that was handled. She explained: “Basically, my appointment was at 9:30, the phone got stolen at 9:15. So I thought ‘What can I do to keep my data safe?’
“Call the bank, cancel my card, call the phone provider, cancel my SIM, call my mum. By the time I’d done that, there was no time, I had to get my fillings done.”
She attempted to locate her phone, saying: “With the phone tracking, I tried to track my phone through my phone through the laptop because it was linked through Find My Phone.
“But they had switched it off, so these criminals know what they’re doing. They switch the phone off so the police can’t track it.”
Host Ed then highlighted that while the police struggle to access a stolen phone, there’s a workaround if the owner has saved their medical details and emergency contacts in it, which can be viewed without unlocking the device. He also recommended users jot down their phone’s unique IMEI number as it can help trace the device.
Meanwhile, Michelle is excitedly preparing for her return to the telly on the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing starting in September. Despite being busy with rehearsals alongside her fellow dance pros, she emphasised that she’s still in the dark about the celebrity line-up.
She shared: “We’re getting close, rehearsals have started, so they’re in full swing, we’re learning all of our group numbers we’re in. I can’t believe we’re starting so soon. But the public thinks we know more than we actually do. We don’t know who we’re getting, if we’re getting or who it’s gonna be.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
