TV star Richard Madeley has launched a Twitter tirade to angrily deny claims he ran out of his house in his boxer shorts to confront an “innocent” teen was flying a drone.
The former This Morning presenter was accused of being “bonkers” and a “lunatic” by Terence Fuller, 19, who claimed he was only trying out the drone for fun.
The college student claims he and his friend were left terrified as Madeley came storming out of his home shouting and banging on the back of their van.
But Madeley has come out fighting with a series of social media posts which accuses Terence of Plymouth, Devon of working with a paparazzi photographer George Bamby to purposely invade their privacy.
George confirmed he had been camped outside Richard and Judy’s holiday home in Talland Bay, near Looe in Cornwall after being assigned to “watch” them in the days leading up to the incident.
But both the snapper and student stood by their version of events and denied the accusations they were working together and knew each other after Madeley posts to his 200,000 plus twitter followers.
Earlier this week Madeley claimed the drone had been flown over his garden in a bid to snatch pictures of him and his family.
He said he had chased over the pilot and caught his number plate – which was reported to police.
Today Madeley hit back at claims he overreacted against innocent youngsters in a series of tweets stating what he claims was the “truth.”
He wrote: “Some of you are feeling sorry for the student who ‘innocently’ hovered his drone over my garden Tuesday. Stand by for some awkward FACTS.
“Let’s begin with his ‘witness’ who was with him, shall we? GEORGE BAMBY. Named in today’s papers. Google him,folks. C what he does 4 a living.
“He’s a professional photographer. Oh, and guess what? He openly ‘papped’ us outside our house THE DAY BEFORE.Saw us walk into our drive.
“But coincidence,right?Kid ‘happens’ 2b with a pap;’happens’ a park covertly round the back of r house;’happens’ 2 hover drone over my lawn.
“Oh,&4t record – kid’s lurid account of my challenging him is WAY over top.I was polite and calm.They roared off before I could speak 2 them.
“Oh yeah..and what was ‘innocent’lad doing in a white high-sided van with what looked suspiciously like a one-way window in the back,hmmm?
“I’ve just spoken to editor of Plymouth Herald,who led with the lad’s unchallenged bullshit today.He agrees they’ve had the wool pulled over.
“So,summary.It WAS a 100% invasion of privacy by prof snapper using camera drone.Claims it was all innocent fun are horseshit.
“Record set straight, I shall now stop droning on about it. But I WON’T be lied about.”
Speaking after reading Richard’s tweets, George Bamby confirmed he was at the house to take pictures of Richard and Judy, but stood by his version of events after being named publicly on Madeley’s twitter account.
He said: “I am a professional licensed member of the press and do celebrity photos for a living.
“I have been working on Richard and Judy for the last few days and have taken pictures of them.
“I have spoken to them as I always do and they always come across as a nice couple who are very pleasant.
“I spoke to them the day before. They were very nice as they always are and never complain.
“But, unfortunately, Richard has got this situation completely wrong. The story is as it was.
“These were just a couple of lads and I was parked 200 yards down the road from them.
“Richard has seen a drone and put two and two together and come up with 15 to presume it has something to do with me.
“He has now put my name over twitter, and I am now taking legal advice about that.”
Terence Fuller also stood by his claims after reading Madeley’s twitter.
He said: “He was not calm at all, he was mental. He was hitting the van and shouting and swearing.
“By the sounds of it from reading that it seems he is losing the plot.
“I had never met George Bamby before, but the way he has described it is exactly how it happened.
“Madeley is completely wrong about everything to be honest – he should not have jumped to conclusions – as this was nothing to do with us.
“If he would have come to us to talk, we would not have driven off in such a panic.
“We just thought he was a madman – and did not know who he was at the time.”
