Senior public worker investigated after ‘twerking in front of Martin Compston’

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Martin Compston attends "The Rig" Global Premiere at Regent Street Cinema on December 08, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Martin Compston got more than he bargained for when he was invited to an Edinburgh event in 2023 (Picture: Getty Images)

A senior figure for a major Scottish public body has reportedly been investigated after ‘twerking’ at Line of Duty star Martin Compston, making him ‘uncomfortable.’

The incident is said to have occurred at a corporate event, hosted by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) at Edinburgh Castle in 2023.

Celebrity guest Compston had been invited to attend, along with Sir Rod Stewart’s wife, Penny Lancaster.

The pair were reportedly upset by the behaviour of a senior female manager, who is alleged to have ‘twerked’ in front of Compston and described Lancaster as a ‘dumb blonde.’

A report seen by The Scotsman alleges that both celebrity guests were made to feel uncomfortable, leading to an external expert being brought on to carry out an investigation.

According to the outlet, this is the latest crisis levelled against scandal-stricken body HES.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 18: Martin Compston attends the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 18, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
Compston was invited to attend the event, hosted by Historic Environment Scotland (Picture: Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Penny Lancaster attends the "Ocean With David Attenborough" World Premiere at The Royal Festival Hall on May 06, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Penny Lancaster was also in attendance at the same event (Picture: WireImage)

The publication has recorded how a senior HES member became drunk and sat on a guest’s knee.

She is then said to have stood up and twerked in front of both the guest and Scottish actor Compston.

Afterwards, it is claimed that she posed for a photograph with Lancaster, describing them both as ‘two dumb blondes together.’

This behaviour is said to have led to an investigation into the matter, which was reportedly upheld.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Martin Compston attends The BRIT Awards 2025 at Intercontinental London - The O2, on March 01, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Jim Dyson/Redferns)
Compston reportedly grew uncomfortable when the senior boss began twerking (Picture: Redferns)
Edinburgh, Scotland - December 30th 2021 - Edinburgh Castle
The incident is believed to have taken place at historic Edinburgh Castle (Picture: Getty Images)

However, HES have not confirmed what actions have been taken against the worker.

Sources said that the external investigator criticised ‘an internal culture of fear’ in the organisation, describing how he was unable to fully investigate the situation because staff were too scared to talk.

A leaked report describes witnesses as ‘uncomfortable and frightened to speak for the fear of retribution.’ The external investigator recommended that the body commission a ‘culture review’ with all staff.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart attend the "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" Global Premiere in Leicester Square on May 15, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Ackerman/FilmMagic)
The HES boss is said to have described herself and Lancaster as ‘dumb blondes’ (Picture: FilmMagic)

The Scotsman also describes how another HES figure attempted to push catering bosses for a ‘free bottomless brunch for ten’ at Edinburgh Castle.

Another claim describes how members of senior management created a new pay band in order to give themselves a salary rise of between 19 and 21.5%.

‘These latest bombshell revelations confirm the complete chaos within Historic Environment Scotland,’ said culture committee member StephenKerr.

‘Clearly senior figures feel they can reward themselves handsomely or behave in a wholly inappropriate manner without suffering any consequences.’

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Martin Compston seen arriving at Capital Breakfast Radio Studios on December 09, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Neil Mockford/GC Images)
Compston’s discomfort led to an external investigation being launched (Picture: GC Images)

Earlier this year, Compston celebrated the release of his Amazon Prime thriller Fear.

He and Anjli Mohindra play husband and wife Martyn and Rebecca – whosefresh start in Glasgow turns into a nightmare when a neighbour accuses them of a heinous crime.

Dark stuff – and no one was more affected by it than lead actor Compston.

‘My last scenes were emotional, and I was like, I have nothing left; I really have nothing left,’ he told Metro in March.

‘At first, I got really upset with myself and went back to my trailer and went, “I f***ed that up.” But then I realised it was because I had nothing left. I had given it everything I had. I had wrung every last little emotion out.

‘We had been shooting for seven hours, but it’s still a mad feeling when I felt I couldn’t access [the right emotions] for that last take. I’m really proud of that scene now when it comes together.’

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *