It was billed as the ‘ultimate girls’ night out’ and promised ticket-holders ‘slick moves, ripped bodies, cheeky charm and a stage show that’ll leave you gasping for more’.
But ‘cheeky charm’ is hardly the only phrase that springs to mind when it comes to the ‘Wet ‘n’ Wild’ show from the ‘UK Pleasure Boys’, which rocked the sleepy market town of Banbury, Oxfordshire, last weekend. Indeed, the event was described by one horrified lady who attended as ‘the closest thing to an orgy I will ever see’.
Startling video footage of the shindig, held at Banbury United FC’s clubhouse last Saturday night, confirmed reports that the over-18-only male revue resembled a bacchanalia from the most lascivious days of the Roman Empire. Entirely nude male models were seen engaging in shockingly intimate sexual acts with lively female audience members, while others whooped and hollered as though the home side had scored.
Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of people here in Banbury – dubbed the Notswolds by high-end estate agents for its proximity to the affluent Cotswolds – are appalled by what has been described as a ‘desecration’ of the town’s reputation.
And today, the Daily Mail can reveal that at least one couple has split up over the incident after footage of one lady enjoying the show a little too much was seen by her partner, resulting in him kicking her out of the house. But more on that later.
First of all, who are the UK Pleasure Boys and how on earth did they end up hosting an event such as this in the clubhouse of a self-respecting football team?
The ‘UK Pleasure Boys’ promised their ticket-holders ‘slick moves, ripped bodies, cheeky charm and a stage show that’ll leave you gasping for more’
Banbury United Community FC – who are nicknamed, with some irony, The Puritans – play their home games at the Tugo Community Stadium on the outskirts of the town, a short walk from the railway station. This week the home side – who count Care UK and the Epilepsy Society among their sponsors – celebrated a one-nil victory over Leighton Town.
Within the ground is The Spencer Clubhouse, a ramshackle 250-capacity, single-storey venue accessed via the Nigel Porter gate and boasting a dance floor, fully stocked bar and ‘state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment’. Banbury United describe the building as ‘the perfect setting to ensure your occasion is nothing short of extraordinary’. No wonder then, that it’s a popular spot for birthdays, wedding receptions and business conferences.
But last Saturday there was a gathering of a rather less wholesome nature, for the UK Pleasure Boys had moseyed on into town for the latest stop on their year-long Wet ’n’ Wild Western-themed tour which had, by this point, gone to Bradford, Solihull, Newcastle, Sheffield and Walsall.
There are currently eight lads in the troupe, most of whom use stage names such as Seduction, AJ and the rather alarming Demolition.
Far from a fringe act, the ensemble is something of a British mainstay, having previously been booked for everything from episodes of Emmerdale and Casualty to Coronation Street and even Judge Rinder – though TV viewers were thankfully spared full nudity.
The act is essentially a dance-inspired strip-tease set to a rollicking soundtrack – of the sort made famous by the classic 1997 film The Full Monty. Numerous videos online show trim, oiled men of all ethnicities with crack-a-nut biceps and washboard abs gyrating around the stage in ever-diminishing levels of dress.
‘This isn’t just a show,’ promises the official press release for the tour. ‘It’s an all-out fantasy brought to life. Think class meets sass. Think muscle meets mischief. Think the night you’ll never forget.’
The vast majority of people in Banbury – dubbed the Notswolds by high-end estate agents for its proximity to the affluent Cotswolds – are appalled by the ‘Wet ‘n’ Wild’ show
Well, the night of October 17 at The Spencer Clubhouse will certainly live long in the memory – although ‘class’ is the last word on anyone’s mind.
The show, for which ticket prices started at £15, began at 8.30pm, by which point the almost entirely female audience had made extensive use of the on-site bar. It isn’t clear at what point the evening took a turn, but footage seen by the Daily Mail shows the male models leaping down from the stage and engaging some members of the crowd in what can only be described as a genuinely physical and intimate public performance.
Writing on Facebook after the event, local Emma Cleall revealed she had been in attendance and got more than she bargained for.
‘I expected to appreciate a good body, good dancing and a great laugh with friends,’ she explained. ‘Maybe a flash of some goods at the end – but not a porn show!’
She added: ‘It was a great laugh until it wasn’t… If the ticket said expect full [sex acts] in your face, then no I wouldn’t have gone’. In a separate post, Emma concluded: ‘Honestly, I left traumatised and my eyeballs are still bleeding from what I was witnessing.’
Just 500 yards up the road from The Spencer Clubhouse, the Daily Mail spoke to a pair of taxi drivers from Castle Cars, who ferried a number of attendees home from the venue after the show ended around midnight.
‘It was a full-on fest,’ declared one with a wry smile. ‘There were all ages there, from older teenagers to elderly people.’
‘The girls didn’t say much to us except that it all got a bit “friendly friendly”,’ the second driver admitted. ‘There were two older women who had a great time and even asked about going on [to a nightclub], but I suggested perhaps I should make sure they got home safely.’
By Thursday morning this week it appeared at first glance that the excitement had died down. Banbury – home to fewer than 55,000 people – was bathed in autumn sunshine, a florist displayed beautiful bouquets on the street and market traders offered cheeses and pastries to early-morning shoppers.
But, despite this chocolate-box facade, the only thing on anyone’s lips remained the ‘sex scandal of century’ which was being discussed everywhere from the local key-cutters to latte-drinkers at Caffe Nero and even in the queue for one of Curly’s fully loaded baked potatoes on Market Place.
‘I only wish I’d been there!’ joked Martha while enjoying a piping-hot spud. ‘It’s not normal around here; not for something like that to happen.’
Not everyone, however, sees the funny side.
‘Nobody is perfect but this is disgusting,’ declared Jean Wallis, 67. ‘This is a peaceful and very pleasant area. I am appalled.’
Although the townsfolk of this Oxfordshire enclave remained mostly tight-lipped about the identities of those who bought tickets to the event, the Daily Mail was told by one local beautician, who wished to remain anonymous: ‘At least one of the women has been kicked out of the house by their partner when he saw the pictures.’
This raises the question as to how many happy relationships may have been ruined by the circulation of the incriminating video clips recorded on the night – thought to have been shared hundreds if not thousands of times.
The poster promoting the UK Pleasure Boys and their year-long Wet ’n’ Wild Western-themed tour, which has gone to Bradford, Solihull, Newcastle, Sheffield and Walsall
‘At first I thought [the videos] were fake,’ the beautician continued, ‘but they are all too real and I was shocked and disgusted by how it got so out of hand. If you want to behave like that, you have to be single.’
‘In a big city on a hen do, stag do or abroad, you might get away with it – but everybody knows one another here,’ admitted Ryan Jennings, 29, who described the event as ‘terrible for the reputation of the town’ and was adamant ‘it would end in divorce’ if his own wife had been caught at the sordid do.
Certainly, any die-hard fan of Banbury United who spotted his wife or girlfriend attending Saturday night’s show could be forgiven for feeling the club’s hallowed turf has been ruined for ever.
Manager of the UK Pleasure Boys John Woodward – who also runs an event with the eye-watering name ‘Balls Out Bingo’ – admitted Saturday night’s show ‘was more heated than usual shows’ but insisted: ‘There was a great atmosphere. It isn’t clear how or what got out of hand, or if it was the women or the men who got too heated. We are looking into it.’
And yet, this isn’t the first time the UK Pleasure Boys have found themselves in a sticky situation. In 2024, the lads stripped down for a ‘special’ performance on Valentine’s weekend at The Devonshire Complex in suburban Belfast, prompting uproar from the traditionally minded local community.
‘The men themselves put on good show in the first half then after a long break the second half took a turn,’ revealed one attendee at the time. ‘I have never seen anything like it, I was gob-smacked, but I did not leave, as it was all for a laugh and was glad that none of the men came near me as I would have died off.’
In August this year, the boys returned to Northern Ireland and were due to play a show at Pat’s Bar in Enniskillen when local reverend James Porter wrote an open letter warning the act was ‘sinful, extremely immoral and of an indecent nature’.
The minister with the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster continued: ‘It is something that is shameful, degrading and to be repudiated. Such a show is contrary to God’s Word which encourages purity of life and righteousness for the good of all in society. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 5:22 “Keep thyself pure”.’
Mr Woodward defended the show, which duly sold out and went ahead despite the cleric’s protestations.
Three years ago, meanwhile, then-troupe member Jaden Nugent, 30, admitted some audience-members do get over-excited, saying: ‘When I’m on stage, the girls try to grab me aggressively because they think “it’s” not real – but it is! It does hurt – they’re definitely not gentle.’
But while the boys continue to trail controversy in their wake, the Wet ’n’ Wild show remains on the road, with upcoming performances in Birmingham and even a Halloween special in Lowestoft in Suffolk.
For its part Banbury United, which in 2024 was relegated to the seventh tier of English football and now plays alongside clubs such as Bromsgrove Sporting and Racing Club Warwick, attempted to distance itself from the event. In a statement on Tuesday, the club insisted the event ‘went beyond what we find acceptable at our venue,’ adding: ‘We apologise to anyone in attendance who was offended. The venue was booked for that evening by an external promoter as part of a UK-wide tour. We are reviewing what happened and will revise our hire and conduct terms for performance events as a result.’
And this Saturday afternoon at 3pm, Banbury United will travel to Lincolnshire to clash with Bourne Town for the first round of the FA Trophy. After the excitements of the previous week, the whole of Banbury will surely be hoping the boys keep it strictly professional.