Ellie Flynn investigated the dark side of party holidays (Picture: Channel 4)
Ellie Flynn regularly puts herself in dangerous situations, but never has she felt more scared than when sat on a sunlounger in Magaluf.
In recent years, the investigative journalist has gone undercover to meet with landlords offering free rent for sex, and she’s allowed a stranger to follow her from a UK nightclub to a hotel room before confronting him. However, it was her latest documentary, Magaluf Undercover – Predators & Parties, that left her feeling most vulnerable.
Alongside her team, she flew to the Spanish party island to expose the predatory underbelly of the tourist hotspot favoured by Brits abroad. Posing as drunk, she secretly filmed the actions of the men who approached her on hidden cameras.
Although, she was expecting to experience some sexual harassment based on horrifying evidence – in 2023 there were 48 rapes reported to the police in the Magaluf area – what she uncovered was worse than she could have ever imagined.
‘We had a strong feeling there was bad behaviour there, but what shocked me was how coordinated it felt,’ she told Metro.
‘I haven’t ever been as scared as I was on that beach’
Ellie pretended to be drunk and alone (Picture: Channel 4)
When approached by men, Ellie often found that they were often ‘working in groups’. In one instance, a man cornered her to chat, asking if she’d like to kiss. When Ellie indicated she was not interested, he headed over to speak to another man and said: ‘She’s completely wasted. Let’s go for it!’ That man then took his opportunity to speak with her, and when Ellie walked away, he followed.
‘I haven’t ever been as scared as I was on that beach. There’s something about the feeling of being outnumbered that upset me,’ she summarised.
The other issue was the sheer frequency of the approaches from men, who were undeterred even after rejection. ‘It was an endless conveyor belt of relentless, desperate harassment. They kept trying to come into my personal space and touch me even when I was actively moving away. It was non-stop.’ She noted this worsened at the nightclubs’ closing time, when revellers would spill out onto the Punta Ballena strip and nearby beach.
After four consecutive nights of filming, Ellie felt at her limit. The undercover work had naturally come to its end, but Ellie doesn’t think she would have been able to continue anyway.
She was emotionally drained after ‘being gaslit’ on her final evening. Three months later, it still terrifies her to think about it.
The incident began with a man repeatedly asking Ellie if she was okay, and offering his help, and inquiring if she had any friends. The conversation convinced Ellie he may have genuine concern. For this reason, she let the situation play out, rather than signalling for backup from her team. After more time had passed, the man began to place his hands on her body.
‘He lulled me into a …read more
Source:: Metro
