Entertainment
Who is Ainsley Harriott’s sister and how did he save her?-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro
The chef is considering legal action over the incident.
Ainsley Harriott saved her sister Jacqueline Harriott earlier this year (Picture: Alpha Press/ Rex)
Ainsley Harriott is considering taking legal action against the RHS Chelsea Flower Show after saving his sister Jacqueline from drowning earlier this year.
The 65-year-old celebrity chef had to rescue his sibling when she fell into a deep water feature at the annual event, and he’s called the health and safety procedures into question.
‘The Health and Safety was not particularly great. They should have roped it [the show pond] off. It was about 6ft deep — quite a drop once you hit the water,’ he told the Daily Mail last week.
An RHS spokesperson added: ‘We take Health and Safety very seriously. Throughout the remainder of the show we made the decision to close off the garden to visitors.’
With Ainsley thinking about his next move, here is everything you need to know about Jacqueline, and how the scary incident unfolded.
Who is Ainsley Harriott’s sister?
Before retiring, Jacqueline spent 39 years working as a teacher, and she has stayed in education.
Jacqueline and Ainsley Harriott have attended the RHS Chelsea Flower Show together in the past (Picture: ©Alpha Press)
She now serves as a committee member for the Croydon branch of U3A, which is an international movement offering education and cultural stimulation to benefit retired members of the community.
Jacqueline and Ainsley – who also have a brother, Chester – are the kids of Jamaican-born singer and pianist Chester Leroy Harriott.
How did Ainsley Harriott save his sister – what happened?
Ainsley was seen helping his sister at the event (Picture: Vagner Vidal/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)
In dramatic scenes which were captured in photos from the event in May, Jacqueline fell into a deep water feature which ran alongside a path in one of the exhibits.
The incident occurred on the first day of the event, and she was taken to hospital by paramedics to be checked over after ‘coughing up a lot of water’.
In photos taken at the time, she was seen laying on her side after being pulled out, with Ainsley tending to her as others helped make sure she was ok, while she had been coughing up water.
Her famous brother later updated fans, tweeting: ‘Just a big thank you to everyone who helped my sister when she had a fall at the Chelsea Flower Show this morning. She’s doing fine and all is well xx.’
At the time, a guest at the event told The Sun: ‘The garden was packed with lots of people and I think the woman must have fallen into the pond or tripped over and ended up in the water.
‘I think she nearly drowned. She was pulled out by Ainsley Harriott and some other celebrities before they laid her down on the floor. She was coughing up lots of water.’
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