Former MP Neil Parish – aka he of the Tractor Porn shame – is the latest famous face to arrive in HMP Shrewsbury during episode 2 of Banged Up.
And despite coming from the cut-throat world of politics, he is clearly shaken by the “horrendous” welcome he gets from the ex-convicts.
As series 1 of Banged Up continues (Tuesday, November 7, 2023), disgraced former MP Neil Parish does not get a warm welcome when he arrives to take part in the “unique experiment”.
Parish instantly meets his seriously intimating cellmate… And a vindictive bully subsequently targets him. Neil may be a Tory MP, but even I felt seriously sorry for him – until he exacts his own ‘indirect action’ against the lag.
Who is Neil Parish?
Neil Parish, now 67, is the Tory MP behind Tractorgate. In 2022, he was caught watching porn – twice! – in the House of Commons. He handed in his resignation the same year as a result of the scandal.
Neil, who represented Tiverton and Honiton in Devon from 2010 until he resigned, said it had been a “moment of madness”. At first, he said the first time was accidental after looking at a tractor website. But the second time – in the House of Commons – was deliberate.
Two female colleagues claimed they had seen him looking at adult content on his phone. The Conservative Party suspended him over the allegations, and he later quit the job.
Mr Parish later said what he did “was absolutely totally wrong”. He added: “I will have to live with this for the rest of my life. I made a huge terrible mistake and I’m here to tell the world.”
He said it was a “moment of madness”. However, he denied watching the material in a way where he hoped other people would see it. Instead he insisted he was trying to be discreet.
“I was wrong, I was stupid, I lost sense of mind,” he said, adding that he was making a “total full apology” for his actions. His wife stood by him, and appears on Banged Up.
What happens to Neil during episode 2 of Banged Up?
Neil Parish arrives in the decommissioned Victorian jail, HMP Shrewsbury, for his one week stint in episode 2 of C4‘s Banged Up. And it’s uncomfortable viewing from the start.
He must share a cell with ex-con Chet Sandhu, who looks like he could crush your soul with a glance. Viewers know that the seven celebrities taking part are subjected to real prison conditions. The ex-cons in the series have all served their jail sentences, and are now reformed. However, for the experiment, they’ve been asked to behave as they did in prison.
Neil’s cellmate is convicted drug smuggler, and self-confessed former pimp Chet Sandhu, who admits to having stabbed people. Within minutes of meeting Neil and discovering he’s a farmer, Chet says: “I’d rather kill a person than a tree, what about you?” Gulp.
Of course, Neil’s arrival in the prison causes much interest. It’s not long before he’s surrounded by ex-cons. But it’s “scary” bully Tony who really “intimidates” Neil.
Speaking to the camera, Neil admits: “Tony’s a bully trying to intimidate me. These men could cause a lot of damage to me if they wanted to.”
Bully Tony calls Neil a ‘teletubby’ and a ‘complete melt’
Former convict Tony admits he alleviates boredom in jail by being a prankster. And he immediately targets Neil, who he sees as a “complete melt”.
During their hour of exercise, Tony begins by calling Neil a “teletubby” as he’s not as fit as the other inmates. But the cruelty gets worse as Tony throws a dustbin-full of rubbish over Neil’s bed, and later rigs a bucket of water to fall on his head when he walks into his cell.
While Neil is clearly shaken, Chet only knows one response – revenge. He tells Neil to “slash” Tony, and shows him how to make a weapon by melting a plastic toothbrush to a razor blade.
Even if you’re a Tory hater, it would take a cold-hearted bitch not to feel sympathy as Neil breaks down in tears on more than one occasion.
What happens in episode 2 of Banged Up?
As well as Neil Parish’s uncomfortable start, pop star HRVY puts a target on his back when he arrives wearing a gold bracelet… Needless to say, it doesn’t stay on his wrist for very long.
Meawhile, former EastEnders actor Sid Owen tries to break petty criminal Liam’s cycle of crime with an acting class. Their growing friendship is really very touching. And Gogglebox star Marcus Luther attends an anger management course, but risks offending his peers by suggesting they had a “choice” about their criminality…
Read more: Channel 4 viewers need to ‘bleach their eyes’ after watching documentary Banged Up
Banged Up episode 2 airs on Tuesday, November 07, 2023 at 9.15pm on Channel 4.
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