Wild ordeal in Cannes! 😲 Welsh YouTuber Ben Phillips, known for his hilarious prank videos, found himself in a nightmare while vacationing in a luxury villa. Ben, with 30 million social media followers, was celebrating a friend’s birthday in Cannes when his trip took a terrifying turn.
Staying at an £8m Airbnb villa, the night of June 2 will forever be etched in Ben’s mind. Alone at the villa while friends dined out, Ben heard noises. Assuming it was a cleaner, reality hit when he saw five armed robbers. 😨
“At first I thought, ‘Is that a cleaner?’ But who cleans at 11:30 pm? Seconds later, I was face to face with intruders,” Ben shares. The trespassers, looking for high-end goods like Rolex and Cartier, demanded cash. Ben was hit, forced to his knees, and threatened with a gun.
They ransacked their belongings, flipping bags and taking items worth up to £1.5 million! “They wanted my Rolexes, my Cartier. It was surreal,” Ben recalls, shaken but alive. During the chaos, he narrowly escaped a shooting as the robber’s gun jammed.
Realising the emptiness of the villa, Ben yelled for the police, which finally scared them off. The robbers fled after rummaging through his credit cards left on the floor. Brave and resourceful, Ben managed to hit the gun away and lock himself in a bathroom until help arrived.
Bailey, one of Ben’s friends, showed up moments later, and together they sought police assistance, ending up with a massive police response, involving 50 armed officers by night’s end.
Two suspects were captured through CCTV. Ben lost valuable items, but the villa owners suffered greater losses. The intruders’ climb over a four-meter wall led them to the villa they ruthlessly invaded.
Ben’s still in France awaiting a new passport but emphasises the need to stay alert. His experience highlights how quickly life’s privileged situations can turn perilous. “I never thought it’d happen in a place like Cannes. It’s a wake-up call.”
Ben, now safe, reflects on the ordeal’s shocking impact and urges awareness. Share your thoughts and stay safe, folks! 🙏