Josh Widdicombe, known for his role on "Strictly Come Dancing," recounted a recent in-flight dispute that led to a physical altercation. The incident occurred on a flight home from Greece when Widdicombe briefly placed his foot on the armrest of an empty seat.
According to Widdicombe's retelling on his "Parenting Hell" podcast, he was standing in line for the restroom and perched on the armrest of an unoccupied seat, with the sole of his shoe resting on its corner. A woman at the window seat informed him it was her husband's seat, prompting Widdicombe to remove his foot and offer an apology. However, the woman reportedly continued to admonish him.
At that point, her husband emerged from the restroom. Widdicombe described the man as being of considerable build. As the man passed Widdicombe in the aisle, he struck him on the back, an action Widdicombe likened to a footballer's foul play. The passenger then questioned Widdicombe about his foot being on the seat and proceeded to wipe down his own seat with napkins.
Widdicombe stated he apologized again, but the passenger did not accept it. An air steward had to intervene to check on the passenger. The steward later confided in Widdicombe, remarking on the passenger's behavior. The comedian also mentioned a fan approaching him during the incident.
The situation continued to be tense, with Widdicombe reporting that the woman stared at him throughout the remainder of the flight. He also overheard the flight attendants discussing the passenger, who was reportedly still cleaning the seat with a napkin an hour later. Widdicombe speculated that the passenger might have been germophobic.
The incident occurred after Widdicombe had been watching the World Cup. He had shared an amusing video detailing his attempts to stay awake for England's matches, which involved napping and nearly missing parts of the games due to delayed kick-off times.