Virgin Atlantic employee resigns amid celeb tip-off claims

Don't become famous and you won't get hounded.

They knew what they were getting into from day 1.

If I was to become famous, I would offer the press some posing to feed them myself. Doing the opposite is because you want it for big big bucks you don't want to lose! By the way, stars are not really complaining...

It must be distressing to be hounded by the media the whole time. In Japan, I find it annoying/unfair that media are allowed airside at Narita to film the famous on the moving walkways. If you have ever seen it, you would be amazed at the aggression to get the questions in. Quite repulsive.

paulinusaAPR. 08, 2012 - 08:19AM JST Not sure why this is such a big deal. People who work at restaurants and hotels in big cities have been doing this sort of thing for years.

Yes, but

The employee was a junior member of the team that looks after high-profile clients, Virgin said. She quit last Thursday before reports published in the Guardian and the Press Gazette alleged that she had passed the booking information of more than 60 celebrities on to the Big Pictures photo agency.

Although it isn't actually mentioned in the article, it is possible that the members of this special team had signed some kind of non-disclosure agreement and violating this agreement could be illegitimate grounds for dismissal. I would imagine many business that deal regularly with high-profile clients have something similar in effect. In fact, they might play this up as a way to attract this type of client.

Even the rich and famous have the right to their privacy. It's easy for all of us to say "What's the big deal?", but imagine if it was happening to you. Imagine if every time you went anywhere there was somebody making a note of your every move and passing that info on to somebody else. It's got to be very stressful, even if you're getting "paid the big bucks."

Wow! People paying off paparazzi for tips?? News??

Does anyone else find this story a tad ironic? The newspapers involved are apparently criticising someone for passing on private information to the media... but in pursuing the story the newspapers involved are doing exactly the same thing.

This really does seem to be a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

C'mon if you're famous, you will have people hound you regardless. That's why you get paid the big bucks.

And celebrities' PR companies regularly 'tip off' the media in order to keep them in the public eye and on the showbiz pages. It keeps their profile high, which keeps them in demand, which earns them megabucks.

Not sure why this is such a big deal. People who work at restaurants and hotels in big cities have been doing this sort of thing for years.