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| Mirror phone hacking 'destroyed actors' relationship' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Actor Steve McFadden has described how articles published in the Mirror "destroyed" his relationship with ex-girlfriend and co-star Lucy Benjamin. | |
| The actor, who plays Phil Mitchell in EastEnders, said the couple had hoped to marry but he thought Lucy was "giving out information". | |
| Two other EastEnders actors did not speak for five years because of suspicions over tabloid stories. | |
| Shane Richie said he and co-star Jessie Wallace each suspected the other. | |
| It has now been acknowledged that the information was obtained through voicemail hacking. | |
| Mr McFadden was called as a witness at the hearing, which will establish damages against Mirror Group for eight claimants of which his former partner, now Lucy Taggart, is one. | Mr McFadden was called as a witness at the hearing, which will establish damages against Mirror Group for eight claimants of which his former partner, now Lucy Taggart, is one. |
| Mr McFadden told the High Court that Ms Taggart had been left "sobbing inconsolably in the foetal position" by one story in 2002. | |
| The actor said he had been very close to proposing to his co-star "but the biggest factor that stopped me was thinking that Lucy had a big mouth". | |
| He said: "All the articles in the Mirror's newspapers that were constantly being published about us made me suspect Lucy. | He said: "All the articles in the Mirror's newspapers that were constantly being published about us made me suspect Lucy. |
| "I thought she was shouting her mouth off. Now of course I know it was nothing like this and it was the Mirror's journalists stealing information from our phones. | "I thought she was shouting her mouth off. Now of course I know it was nothing like this and it was the Mirror's journalists stealing information from our phones. |
| "Apart from our relationship, the Mirror articles also had a really profound effect on Lucy's career and how she felt as a person." | "Apart from our relationship, the Mirror articles also had a really profound effect on Lucy's career and how she felt as a person." |
| He said she believed they were responsible "for putting her out of work and making her unemployable, and I think she was right". | He said she believed they were responsible "for putting her out of work and making her unemployable, and I think she was right". |
| Mirror Group has admitted publishing 17 articles about Ms Taggart between 2000 and 2006 as a result of phone hacking. | Mirror Group has admitted publishing 17 articles about Ms Taggart between 2000 and 2006 as a result of phone hacking. |
| Mr Richie, who plays Alfie Moon in the BBC soap, occasionally became emotional as he talked about the impact of phone hacking on his life, | |
| He said one of his colleagues on EastEnders had warned others on the set: "Don't say anything to Shane Richie because he's 'gobby', he talks to the press". | |
| Struggling to contain his emotions he said he felt "really let down" by the revelations. | |
| Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) has acknowledged that hacking was used for 12 stories it published about Mr Richie between 2003 and 2005. | |
| 'Naive and vulnerable' | 'Naive and vulnerable' |
| Earlier, Premiership footballer Rio Ferdinand's ex-girlfriend broke down in tears during the hearing. | |
| Flight attendant Lauren Alcorn had a relationship with Mr Ferdinand, the QPR, and former Manchester United and England star, for several years from 2002. | |
| Ms Alcorn, who is on maternity leave from Virgin Airways said she was "completely shocked and disgusted" by the activity at MGN. | |
| She said: "My relationship with Rio was on and off for several years until about 2006. | She said: "My relationship with Rio was on and off for several years until about 2006. |
| "During this time, Rio also had a relationship with his now wife, who is also the mother of his children. | "During this time, Rio also had a relationship with his now wife, who is also the mother of his children. |
| "Looking back on it now with the benefit of hindsight, that period represents a time in my life that I regret and am very embarrassed about. | "Looking back on it now with the benefit of hindsight, that period represents a time in my life that I regret and am very embarrassed about. |
| "However, I was a young, naive and emotionally vulnerable 19-year-old who got wrapped up with a young man that I thought had feelings for me and vice versa. | "However, I was a young, naive and emotionally vulnerable 19-year-old who got wrapped up with a young man that I thought had feelings for me and vice versa. |
| "I'm a very private person and I never never wanted to be in the public eye - even walking into court today is my worst nightmare." | "I'm a very private person and I never never wanted to be in the public eye - even walking into court today is my worst nightmare." |
| Drug test | Drug test |
| Ms Alcorn said she had been quizzed about being with Mr Ferdinand the day before he missed a drugs test in 2003. | |
| "It was even suggested I was a bad influence and I was the reason he missed the test. | "It was even suggested I was a bad influence and I was the reason he missed the test. |
| "I felt completely hounded and bombarded by the questioning from complete strangers." | |
| Ms Alcorn said her voicemail also had "such private and personal things like the death of my father." | Ms Alcorn said her voicemail also had "such private and personal things like the death of my father." |
| She said: "To know that all of that was listened to is really upsetting." | She said: "To know that all of that was listened to is really upsetting." |
| MGN has acknowledged that it published three stories that appeared in the Sunday Mirror in 2003 as a result of hacking Ms Alcorn's voicemail. | MGN has acknowledged that it published three stories that appeared in the Sunday Mirror in 2003 as a result of hacking Ms Alcorn's voicemail. |
| 'No sincerity' | 'No sincerity' |
| MGN last month published an apology for phone hacking, saying the practice was "unlawful, unacceptable and wrong". | MGN last month published an apology for phone hacking, saying the practice was "unlawful, unacceptable and wrong". |
| Asked about the apology, Ms Alcorn said: "It felt like it had no sincerity whatsoever. I wanted to rip it up and throw it in the bin". | Asked about the apology, Ms Alcorn said: "It felt like it had no sincerity whatsoever. I wanted to rip it up and throw it in the bin". |
| BBC creative director Alan Yentob has told the hearing he felt "violated on a truly massive scale" by journalists who hacked his phone, while the former Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati said her son was bullied at school because of stories MGN published. | |
| Cases from actress Sadie Frost, former footballer Paul Gascoigne and TV producer Robert Ashworth, former husband of Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw, are also being considered. | |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |