He said: “Phone snatching on the London Underground is rife right now. Four weeks ago, I saw it happen. This week, it was my daughter. She held onto her phone. She managed to hold onto her phone. She stood her ground.
“She lashed out and kicked them. They hit her in the face, as you can see, she’s got a black eye. We have had the conversation about not retaliating. But I have also praised her for being brave and holding her ground. As parents, there is a lot to unpick there.”
The TV presenter warned that those travelling on the tube need to be more vigilant and aware of their surroundings. He continued: “What I really want to do is help prevent it happening again. I want you to spread this and spread this to your teens. I want adults to do it.
"It usually happens on the Tube at stations just before the doors close. As the beeping starts. Snatch. Run. Doors shut. Gone, and you can’t get to them.
“So here is something we can all do: Do not stand near the doors with your phone out. Do not use your phone while the train is in the station with doors open. If you need to check something, do it between stations when the doors are closed.”
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He urged: “It will not stop every incident, but it will minimise the chances. Please share this with your teens. Share it with friends. Adults too. Being smart can genuinely bring the numbers down. Let’s look out for each other.”
It didn’t take long for fans to flock to the comments to praise his daughter’s bravery and share their sympathies. One user penned: “Your daughter was very brave”, as another added: “I am so sorry to hear this, poor Sienna!”
A third chimed in with: “The audacity that they hit her, so glad she’s okay”. Nigel is married to Professor Ruprika Deloga, and they share two children together. He is the founder of the parent support group, Dadvengers, which is committed to helping fathers navigate parenthood.
The TV star also hosted the popular show, The Baby Club, and worked on CBeebies and the CBBC show, UNCOOL. He is also a star of both stage and screen, appearing in STOMP, the West End show which uses pots and pans to create physical theatre.
