Socialite Tamara Ecclestone has a lavish lifestyle that many are jealous of, but not everything in her world is worthy of envy.
Tamara has recently opened up about a kidnap plot in which a criminal planned to hold her to ransom for £200,000.
She explained to the Mail on Sunday: "Being kidnapped has always been my biggest fear. I felt physically sick. Someone was telling me my life was in danger and I was being watched by people I couldn't see. It was the most frightening thing I have ever been told."
A caller who identified himself as Marcus Black telehoned the London headquarters of Formula 1 and told Tamara's Dad, racing boss Bernie Ecclestone, that a gang were plotting to kidnap Tamara and could only be foiled if Bernie handed over £200,000 in cash.
This month, the brains behind the kidnapping, dental technician Martin Peckham, was jailed for five years.
Tamara explained that when her father learned about the plot, it was boyfriend Omar who broke the news. "Omar...said to me 'someone called your Dad's office saying there are people from Bahrain who are going to kidnap you.'" Bernie didn't involve the police because "when it's about his kids, he wants to be involved" according to Tamara.
She says that her biggest emotion at the moment is relief. "When I found he was a chancer trying his luck, it was a relief. But when you’re in the eye of something like that, it doesn’t matter if the threat is genuine or fake because the fear it generates is the same. Imagine if you were told you could be snatched at any time. You can’t just decide to do that to somebody and think you can get away with it. And I’m glad he didn’t."
It sounds like a real ordeal. We hope Tamara is feeling a bit safer knowing that the trial is over - and can enjoy a relaxing Sunday!
Check out Tamara and her sister Petra stepping out here:
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