Celia Walden's biggest controversies are explored as Harrison Sullivan gets her involved in his online bout with her husband, Piers Morgan.
British broadcaster, Piers Morgan, is currently in the spotlight due to his heated on-air clash at Piers Morgan Uncensored, with social media influencer, Harrison Sullivan, popularly known as HSTikkyTokky. During the altercation, Harrison provoked Piers by displaying a poolside photo of his wife, Celia Walden. Due to that, Piers Morgan abruptly walked off the set of his own show. After the incident, Harrison took things further by sharing another image of Pier Morgan's wife, this time with a man in bed. Amid that, here's a look at the other big, if not bigger, controversies of hers.
British journalist and novelist, Celia Walden shared debatable details of shadowing legendary Northern Irish soccer player, George Best in the years leading up to his death. She wrote about it in her 2011 memoir, Babysitting George. Celia, then a young reporter for the Mail on Sunday, was assigned to ''babysit'' (follow around) George in 2003 to keep him away from rival press during a period of personal chaos following his liver transplant and the breakdown of his marriage. Unlike many sports-focused biographies, Celia Walden's account highlighted the human side of the footballer, documenting his intelligence, his membership in MENSA, and his struggle with terminal alcoholism.
Much of the memoir covers a summer spent in Malta, where Celia tracked George Best down to an Irish bar. However, the book sparked controversy after its contents were challenged by Gina Devivo, his former mistress, according to Express. Gina criticised the book, claiming that it was largely fiction and the work of someone "with a very good imagination." She further alleged that she told Celia to rectify the exaggerated content before publishing, to which Celia allegedly replied that she would "put something in the front of the book saying 'it had all happened to the best of her memory'"; however, nothing of the sort happened. Expressing her frustration, Gina stated:
"I am most angry for George, because he is not here to defend himself. It just didn't happen that way. George would be absolutely livid. He only ever spent a few days with Celia and had no rapport with her at all."
In her 2011 column in the Daily Telegraph, Celina Walden wrote a piece that was condemned by the cycling community for its tone and timing. She shared an instance of a cyclist having an almost fatal accident on the road, calling it an essential experience to teach them life lessons. The article was published in the same week that a female cyclist was killed by a heavy goods vehicle in London. Critics, including the Cycling Intelligence website, argued that Walden'sWalden's comments were insensitive given the recent fatality and accused her of failing to research the realities of road safety for cyclists.
In more recent (2024) columns, Celia Walden has continued to spark debate by calling for stricter laws against "rogue cyclists." She cited a personal connection to the issue, noting a friend's traumatic brain injury caused by a collision on a zebra crossing as a reason for her "alertness" to cycling dangers. While she has framed her recent arguments around public safety and personal experience, her history of provocative comments on the subject has led many in the cycling community to view her stance as persistently adversarial.
Celia Walden was seen lying in bed with Rupert Everret, for promoting a 2023 interview with the actor. However, the promotional stunt raised eyebrows at that time, with PEOPLE debating how far one should go for publicity. The controversial picture is back in the spotlight after influencer, Harrison Sullivan shared it during a livestream following his heated argument with Celia's husband, Piers Morgan. Harrison's purpose was to mock Piers, saying that the latter shouldn't behave like a holy person when his wife was going around clicking inappropriate pics with other men and posting them on social media. Celia's post was captioned as:
"In bed with Rupert Everett. And let me just say this: the man has good pillow talk."
What are your thoughts on Celia Walden's controversies amid her swimwear pic row? Let us know.
Also Read: Meet Harrison Sullivan's Ex-GF Yazmin Oukhellou, HSTikkyTokky's Dating History Amid Piers Morgan Row