Nick Grimshaw’s Ibiza villa was on the target list of a stun gun gang who raided the villa in the middle of the night while the star and his 81-year-old mother were sleeping inside.
Grimmy, who rose to fame on BBC Radio 1 in 2012, was celebrating his 40th birthday with his mother Eileen earlier this month when robbers broke into the house where he was staying.
The same gang is believed to have carried out similar attacks by pumping a tranquilizer gas into a building and then breaking in wearing protective suits.
Other celebrities say they have been the target of similar raids in the past. Richard Hammond and Jenson Button are among those who have spoken out about their experiences.
Although Nick had rented the mansion to celebrate the milestone with his family and fiancée Mesh Henry, it is believed the gang had no idea who he was and that the address was targeted because it was known to be “used by wealthy clients”.
No one was reportedly injured in the robbery, but several items are believed to have been stolen.
Nick Grimshaw and his 81-year-old mother Eileen were victims of a criminal gang in Ibiza (photo from London in February 2017)
He flew to Ibiza this month to celebrate his 40th birthday. Grimmy was photographed on the Spanish island last week enjoying an ice cream
The gang, wearing protective suits, specifically targets properties before handing them over (Grimshaw here last week on an evening with friends in Ibiza).
“The gang would have had no idea who he was. Unfortunately he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it’s scary to say the least,” a source told The Sun:
“Nick was obviously upset but thought it would be better not to bring the matter up on social media.
“Ultimately, it was supposed to be a private, casual getaway with his family.”
Another source told the Times that Grimmy, his friends and family were asleep when the gang broke in.
“Nobody knows whether they were gassed or not because everything happened while the family was sleeping,” they added.
Grimshaw was photographed in Ibiza last week enjoying a night out with his niece Liv and Mesh, eating ice cream.
In another snapshot, he gives his model fiancée a loving kiss and tenderly puts his arm on his shoulder.
The former Radio 1 presenter appears alongside Liv on Celebrity Gogglebox and his niece works as a merchandise assistant at online fashion brand PrettyLittleThing.
In July, Grimshaw posted plenty of snapshots from his trip, showing him partying and posing with friends.
He captioned the post: “When football comes home, maybe no one will notice if I just… stay here.”
Grimshaw became a household name in 2012 when he replaced long-serving Chris Moyles as presenter of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
In 2015, he took over the role of star of the show “X Factor”, where he succeeded Louis Walsh as a judge. However, his tenure only lasted one season.
He has also appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox with his niece Liv, as well as in the Stand Up to Cancer specials, and was a contestant on The Great British Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer in 2021.
Grimshaw is pictured here with his niece Liv, with whom he also appears on Celebrity Gogglebox, and his fiancé Mesh Henry on a night out in Ibiza last week
In July, Grimshaw posted a series of snaps from his trip showing him partying and posing with friends
Grimshaw kisses his fiancée Mesh during a night out in Ibiza last week
Grimshaw (pictured with his fiancée Mesh Henry in June at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in London) was unharmed in the incident.
A source said the gang had no idea who Grimshaw (pictured in Ibiza last week with his fiancée) was, but the villa was on a target list as it was known to be “used by wealthy clients”.
Grimshaw and his family were “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He is now said to be back in London
The Celebrity Gogglebox star was said to have been “obviously upset but thought it was better to keep the matter off social media”
Grimshaw is not the first celebrity to be gassed by gangs. Richard Hammond and Jenson Button have already spoken about their experiences in the past.
However, in 2015, medical experts expressed doubts about the claim that Button and his wife Jessica were gassed in their sleep during a raid on their French villa.
The couple were with friends in St Tropez when thieves broke in and stole £300,000 worth of valuables, including Mrs Button’s engagement ring, estimated to be worth £250,000.
It was claimed that the 35-year-old Formula 1 driver and his wife may have been knocked unconscious by gas that was pumped into the house via the air conditioning system.
A source close to Button said the Grand Prix star was “convinced” that this was exactly what happened.
They added that Button and his friends were not disturbed during the robbery because the effects of the gas gave the burglars “free rein”.
However, Liam Brennan, vice-president of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, expressed derision at the idea.
Last year, the RCA issued statements claiming that stories about tourists being gassed in their trailers and motor homes were a myth.
Dr. Brennan said in 2015: “I cannot think of any drug that could be used in this way and delivered at an effective concentration over a large area to achieve the desired effect.”
Medical experts in 2015 cast doubt on claims that Jenson Button and his wife Jessica were gassed in their sleep during a raid on their French villa (The couple pictured here in September 2009)
Richard Hammond and his wife Mindy, pictured together in 2017, said they were gassed before being robbed in their sleep while on holiday in St Tropez in 2018.
Former Top Gear presenter Hammond and his wife Mindy were gassed in 2018 before being robbed while sleeping in their St Tropez villa.
Hammond, Mindy and 15 other guests were targeted by robbers who rendered them unconscious with anesthetic gas and then searched the rooms for cash and jewelry.
She said she almost surprised the burglars when she heard a noise in the hallway, but instead she turned away, assuming it was another couple in the villa.
Mindy told the Express at the time: “It makes my blood run cold. I could have just walked in and it could have been unpleasant.”
Grimshaw announced his “surprise” engagement to longtime boyfriend Meshach Henry in 2022.
The former E4 presenter revealed earlier this year that Henry had been trying to propose to her for a month, but the star’s mood swings had stopped him.
The couple had planned to marry this summer, but Grimshaw told The Mirror that this had not yet been announced and would “probably not happen this year”.
“We’re a little excited, but then we just forget about it for six weeks,” he said.
“Someone asked, ‘Don’t you want to get married?’ and I was like, ‘Oh shit, yes we are.'”
