Comedy producer robbed at home

£100,000 knifepoint mugging

Top comedy producer Denise O'Donoghue has been robbed of nearly £100,000 worth of valuables in a knifepoint raid at her London home.

The co-founder of Hat Trick Productions was ambushed outside her home in Notting Hill by two smartly-dressed muggers after a night out.

As she got out of her Mini Cooper they cornered her, and stole her handbag and jewellery, including a £40,000 ring.

Her husband, multi-millionaire philanthropist Michael Holland, was in the house during last month’s attack, unaware of what was happening.

A family friend told the London Evening Standard: ‘She was very shaken. Her husband was in, but she was too scared to scream in case they stabbed her. She has been unable to sleep.’

O'Donoghue co-founded Hat Trick Productions with her ex-husband, former comedian Jimmy Mulville, and has worked on Have I Got News For You, Drop The Dead Donkey and The Kumars At No 42.

She has been awarded an OBE and a Bafta for her contribution to TV, and in 2003, she and Mulville sold a 45 per cent stake in their company for £23 million to private equity firm Kleinwort Capital.

Her bag was later found in Notting Hill, but no arrests have been made.

Published: 11 Jun 2008

Live comedy picks

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.