Former reality television personality Megan McKenna has shared a distressing account of being denied entry to a BRIT Awards afterparty, an incident she described as deeply humiliating. The experience, which led her to cry for the entire journey home, was compounded by a subsequent negative encounter in her hotel lobby. McKenna also recounted a terrifying home invasion that prompted her move to Germany.
BRITs Afterparty Rejection
McKenna, who rose to fame on the reality show *The Only Way Is Essex* (TOWIE) and has since appeared on *Celebrity Big Brother*, detailed the events of the recent BRIT Awards ceremony, held for the first time in Manchester. She described having an enjoyable evening at the awards show itself, but the night took a downturn when she and her manager attempted to extend their celebrations at a local bar.
Speaking on the *Great Company With Jamie Laing* podcast, McKenna explained that after a successful night at the awards, they decided to visit a Warner Music afterparty. Following that event, they planned to continue their evening at other bars, with McKenna intending to go in her formal attire.
Upon arriving at the entrance of a venue, McKenna was recognized by onlookers and posed for photographs. However, she claims that door staff then informed her she would not be allowed entry. When she inquired about the reason, she was told that a directive from “someone from above” had placed her name on a list of individuals barred from entry.
McKenna recounted her disbelief and attempted to reason with the security personnel, even suggesting she could enter briefly and then leave through a back exit, given she had already been photographed outside. Despite her pleas, she was denied access.
Emotional Aftermath and Hotel Encounter
The experience left McKenna feeling “gobsmacked” and deeply upset. “I’m gobsmacked, never happened to me in my entire life,” she stated. “So I got in a cab, cried the whole way home.” She characterized the treatment as “belittling and so horrible,” criticizing the rudeness of the security staff and feeling as though she was treated poorly.
The incident significantly impacted her night, leading her and her manager to return to their hotel. However, the negative experiences continued. In the hotel lobby, a man recognized her and made a disparaging comment about her appearance, saying she “used to look well better on TV.” This remark, following the earlier rejection, was the final straw for McKenna.
“I looked at him and went, ‘Oh that’s lovely isn’t it,’ I just walked through the doors and thought, ‘I’m done,'” she recalled. “That was my night. I was really glam for the night, I thought, are you joking? I’ve spent three hours in glam for this night.”
Terrifying Home Burglary
McKenna, who now resides in Germany with her footballer husband Oliver Burke and their young son, Landon, also shared details of a traumatic burglary at her UK home approximately two years prior. This event was a significant factor in her decision to relocate.
She explained that following a holiday, her husband had returned to Germany, leaving her alone in their UK home with their dog. She went to sleep around 11 p.m. and was later woken by the sound of her house shaking.
“I was such a disorientated mess. I was like, ‘What?’ And then I just knew that it was happening to me, and I was like, ‘Oh my God’,” she recounted, still feeling the emotional impact. “The next thing I know, my mirror has come off my wall, and they’re hacking a hole through my wall with a baseball bat. They’re three masked men with machetes and baseball bats, and they managed to hack a hole in my wall because it was a fake wall going onto my dressing room, linked to my bedroom.”
Confrontation and Aftermath
McKenna described calling the police, who informed her not to engage with the intruders. However, fearing for her dog’s safety, she decided to confront the burglars. At the time, she was naked and had injured her foot, resulting in blood being present.
“I told them ‘if I don’t go and talk to them and ask them what they want, they’re going to come in and kill my dog’,” she explained. She approached the men, one of whom was wearing a balaclava, and he took jewelry from her. “Like I actually was holding hands with the robber, and they had a conversation outside the wall, and they made a phone call.”
The ordeal left her shaking, with a cut foot and blood everywhere, describing the scene as akin to a “bloody murder scene.” The intruders eventually left with only her jewelry. McKenna believes her home was specifically targeted.
The combination of these distressing events—the public humiliation at the BRITs afterparty and the violent home invasion—significantly influenced McKenna’s decision to move abroad and reassess her priorities, seeking a greater sense of security.
