Three contestants on Netflix reality show Too Hot to Handle have been fined for their disorderly behavior on a British Airways flight on February 7th. The passengers were flying back to the United Kingdom from the Caribbean via Miami after filming the second series of the show. Notably, one of the rowdy travelers is Matthew Mawhinney, the son of former Attorney General and present Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations Baroness Scotland. The 29-year old launched a foul-mouthed tirade against a flight attendant.

Not following orders

Along with, Mawhinney fellow contestants on the show, Harry Johnson and Beaux Greenslade, were also arrested due to their conduct. They were all ecstatic after the completion of filming, but their excitement came at the expense of others on board.

The three failed to obey a command by the pilot to adopt face masks. They then went on to use threatening language at crew members, according to a hearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court this week.

The captain also took the decision not to serve the disruptors any further alcohol amid disorderly conduct. When flight attendant Sophie Griffiths tried to read Johnson and Greenslade a warning letter, according to The Mirror, Greenslade called her a “f*****g b***h” and said “f**k the captain.”

British Airways 777 Heathrow
Prior to the pandemic the airport served 80 million passengers each year, a dramatic contrast to 2021's figures. Photo: Getty Images

Threatening conduct

When Mawhinney heard about the alcohol refusal, he began swearing at the attendant. He then reportedly scrunched up the warning letter and threw it. He was also spotted doing pushups in the aisle and was heard moaning about being in economy.

In a statement shared by The Mirror, Griffiths said:

“I have never experienced anything like that sort of behaviour in my career. Matthew Mawhinney was unpredictable so it worried me as to what he was doing to do next. Matthew Mawhinney and Beaux Greenslade were the worst behaved of the group. Beaux Greenslade was threatening me against my profession intimating to me she was going to get me sacked and Matthew Mawhinney was threatening me with his family connections saying ‘do you know who my mum is?’”

Other crew members and passengers have also expressed concerns about the loudness and displays of intimacy by the contestants.

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The verdict

Altogether, all three defendants in the court were ordered the pay a fine of £2,335 ($3,226) each. They have also been ordered to pay compensation to Griffiths and another flight attendant, Heather Wenn. The pair will receive £500 ($691) each.

Getty passenger mask
Removing the mask mandate would sharply reduce passenger incident numbers. Photo: Getty Images

According to British Airways, masks are required at all times. The airline also recommends bringing more than one mask due to the company highlighting that as a guide, each mask lasts up to four hours.

Overall, there have been several rowdy incidents surrounding masks over the last year. Several of these have also ended in threatening behavior to flight attendants, especially when there is alcohol involved. Crew members are facing such significant difficulties as it is. So, situations such as these just add to the challenges of ensuring passenger safety on board.

Simple Flying reached out to British Airways for comment on the inflight incident. A spokesperson for the airline said that disruptive or abusive behavior is never tolerated and the appropriate action will always be taken.

What are your thoughts about the incident on this British Airways flight to the UK in February? What do you make of the overall behavior? Let us know what you think of the situation in the comment section.