GK Barry reveals she was told by police not to report her rape

For support with issues in this story contact Rape Crisis on 0808 500 2222Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.co.uk See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy CIARA FARMER, ASSISTANT SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR Published: 14:32 BST, 1 September 2026 | Updated: 19:09 BST, 1 September 2026

GK Barry has revealed it took her a decade to realise the police were 'really wrong' to discourage her reporting her attacker when she was raped as a teen. The I'm A Celebrity star, 27, who rose to fame on TikTok, bravely spoke out about being raped by an older man whom she was reporting to during a week of work experience in her second year of college.Appearing on Paul Brunson's We Need To Talk podcast, the star, real name Grace Eleanor Keeling, spoke about how a police officer said there was 'no point' in reporting the incident restrospectively, with one of the reasons being because 'she flirted' with her attacker. She said: '[The officer] said "I think you'd just be best to leave it. It's your choice, but I just if I was you, I wouldn't.” And then it took me it's been what it's been like 10 years now but it's taken me this long to fully be like no that was actually really wrong.'Grace said he had offered her a lift to work, but things became sinister when instead of heading to the office, he drove to a deserted park where he demanded oral sex before he later locked her in a room and raped her again. GK Barry has revealed it took her a decade to realise the police were 'really wrong' to discourage her reporting her attacker when she was raped as a teen The I'm A Celebrity star, 27, who rose to fame on TikTok, bravely spoke out about being raped by an older man whom she was reporting to during a week of work experience in her second year of college (pictured as a teen) Speaking to Paul, she said: 'I want to talk about something important and it will help at least one person but it's taken me this long to fully be like no that was actually really wrong and this is the only podcast that I will talk about it on...'[The attacker] was like, "Yeah, come in the room." So I was like, "Right, okay." And then basically he raped me in there.'Grace relayed what happened when she worked up the courage to reporting him, saying: '[The female police officer] just says: "Look, because it was so long ago, you didn't report it and you were honest and said you flirted with him at the start...'"There's just no point reporting it. Um I think you'd just be best to leave it. It's your choice, but I just if I was you, I wouldn't"'. She admitted she has finally seen the error of the situation: 'And then it took me it's been what it's been like 10 years now but it's taken me this long to fully be like no that was actually really wrong. Yes. But it took me a very long time.'Paul pointed out the glaring error from the police, saying: 'I think the most important thing to underscore because I heard you mention what that the police officer said...'Why you shouldn't report it because you were flirting. Yeah. I think it's very important to underscore flirting is not consent.' Appearing on Paul Brunson's We Need To Talk podcast, the star, real name Grace Eleanor Keeling, spoke about how a police officer said there was 'no point' in reporting the incident restrospectively because 'she flirted' with her attackerWarning of the misconceptions of sexual assault, Grace said: 'When I thought of rape I thought it was a man jumping out at you in a dark alley and like aggressively tackling you to the floor and raping you. That's what I thought was rape...'And when it came to someone that I had I had known and was has started off nice to me, that's when I was like, I don't is it I just got confused by that because I'd never also been taught that...'You don't you don't get taught that especially when I was at school. So that's sort of why I wanted to put it in there because rape can come in so many forms. It can come from one of your best friends. Yes.' After her ordeal, a terrified Grace continued her work experience and on the last day he sent the rest of the staff home, took her to a room, locked it and raped her.She said at the time she 'blamed herself' and felt the work experience was a 'make or break' moment as she was having to do an extra year at college after failing her GCSEs.