The London Dungeon Fear Fest 2008

Controversial TV and radio star Jonathan Ross found his head on the chopping block - just days before finding his £18 million job on the line.

Jonathan was larking around at the London Dungeon, one of a merry gang of celebrity thrill seekers assembled by top booking agency UPFRONT for a VIP press and celebrity preview of the Dungeon's scariest Halloween Festival to date: "Fear-Fest".

Joker Jonathan happily posed for fun press photo shots at the Dungeon launch - little knowing that he was about to become Public Enemy Number One, sparking national outrage with thousands of people calling for his head !

Risque chat show king Ross was suspended by the BBC for leaving lewd comments on the answerphone of veteran "Fawlty Towers" actor Andrew Sachs during a BBC radio show with Ross's comic partner in crime, comedian Russell Brand.

But on a lighter note, while attending the preview with his teenage son Harvey, Jonathan said: “We love the London Dungeon, it’s amazing what these guys do here -  we were only here two weeks ago and just had to come back  tonight for this.”

The London Dungeon is the city’s frightfully fun attraction, where for over 30 years London’s darkest history has been brought to life with a grisly mixture of live actors, special effects and two hair-raising rides.

Other celebrity guests gathered by UPFRONT included:  Abi Titmuss, Gary Lucy, Nathalie Lunghi, Cherie Lunghi, Kellie Shirley , Sarah Manners, Gillian Taylforth.

Also enjoying the fun during the evening was delightful 12-year-old Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily Hutchence (known as Tiger Lily), the daughter of the late Paula Yates, the British TV presenter and Australian INXS rock star Michael Hutchence.

UPFRONT joint managing director Richard Brecker said: "It looks like Tiger Lily has been beautifully raised by Paula's ex-husband Sir Bob Geldof and we were thrilled Tiger had a great time with her nanny and best friend in tow."

All the celebrities arrived on the Dungeon’s bloody red carpet, where they were greeted by some of the Dungeon’s most dastardly residents.
 
Inside the home of Halloween’s dark depths the stars faced all manner of  frights – from a rendezvous with Jack the Ripper himself to the London Dungeon’s special additions for the Halloween Fear-Fest: a cleaver wielding butcher with a zealous passion for freshly slaughtered meat, and a psychotic witch with a fetish for chewing on severed limbs.

Once through the steaming potions and bottled oddities of the Dungeon’s Halloween ‘Witch’s Halloween Supermarket’ – complete with ‘Torturers Tit Bit Ready Meals’ (Fingers & Mash, Fly soup, Eyeball Pasta)  and, of course, ‘Ten Bell’s whisky’ - the screen favourites’ only way out was through the scariest tour in London Dungeon history, complete with daring Halloween extras and never before seen scares.

“It was Sweeney Todd that did it for me” said a wide eyed Gillian Taylforth, still catching her breath from the terrifying tour “the whole thing’s been great.”

“Jack the Ripper scared me most this time round” said one guest, “I was so scared I was literally clinging to a complete stranger next to me! I’ve been to the Dungeon before a few months ago and I enjoyed it then too, but the Fear-Fest tour is truly amazing – go!”

Among the scares specially installed for Fear-Fest were ’orrible Dungeon favourites such as the 18th Century courtroom – where it was Abi Titmuss’s turn to blush in the dock when Judge asked her to get her kit off and give an example of the ‘naked witchy dancing’ for which she faced trial.

Fear-Fest opened to the public Saturday 18th October and finished 2nd November.

For further information on the London Dungeon, opening times and ticket details please visit www.thedungeons.com  

For further information on UPFRONT's celebrity services including guest list
management please contact:

UPFRONT
39-41 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1BN

T: +44 (0)20 7836 7703/7705  F: +44 (0)20 7836 7701
E: celebrities@upfronttv.com       W: www.celebritiesworldwide.com

Photos of the evening were provided by Gabor Scott
gabor.photo@btinternet.com 
m: +44 (0)7956286 004

Jonathan Ross	Abi Titmuss	Gillian Taylforth	Kellie Shirley and Sarah Manners
Gary Lucy