Wetherspoons Forced to Apologise After Strictly Contestant Was Left ‘Humiliated’ Following a Serious Stroke
Channel 5 star Jane Bullock’s husband complained to Wetherspoons afrer an (Image: GoFundMe)
A Wetherspoon’s spokesperson has apologised after a Netflix star’s husband said they felt “humilated and embarrassed” when they were asked to leave an establishment due to having a dog with them. Jane Phillips Bullock, who trained several of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals and starred in her own Channel 5 and Netflix series, Baby Ballroom suffered a devastating stroke in August 2025, which caused her to lose half of her sight and all movement in the left side of her body, as well as some cognitive skills and bodily functions. She now requires a wheelchair, together with specialist equipment, simply to leave the house. This made entering and exiting the establishment problematic for her party when they visited The Cross Inn, Kingswinford, so being asked to leave proved a huge blow.
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for the pub chain exclusively told Express.co.uk: “Wetherspoon has had a no-dogs policy for some years, although assistance dogs and guide dogs are allowed. In this case, the dog in question belonged to a carer who entered the pub alone with it.
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“Wetherspoon staff explained the company’s policy and said the customer’s car could remain in the car park and pointed out nearby premises where dogs were allowed.
“We are sorry that the customer felt that the company’s policy was applied insensitively and will reply to the written complaint in early course,” they said.
Jane’s husband, Warren Bullock, wrote to the chain’s chairman, Tim Martin, to complain about how the situation was handled, although he did acknowledge the venue had a no-dogs policy. The couple visited the venue with Jane’s carer, Sue, and her dog, Poppy, following a recent two-hour intensive neurological physiotherapy session.
However, after the lengthy process of getting her out of the car and to the venue, they were asked to leave, as canines are not allowed on the premises. This required going through the entire process of getting Jane out of the venue and back into the car again.
Jane Phillips Bullock and Warren Bullock were asked to leave a Wetherspoon outlet recently (Image: GoFundMe)
Sharing the letter and his complaint online, he insisted his issue wasn’t with the policy around dogs, but rather the way the situation was handled by staff. He stated he feels there could be more “flexibility” in situations like this. “Every outing is a major undertaking…What most people would consider a simple trip out has become a physically and emotionally exhausting task for all of us,” he penned.
“It was obvious that Jane is profoundly disabled and that moving her is neither quick nor easy. Rather than showing any understanding or empathy for our situation, the approach felt forceful, unsympathetic and unnecessarily rigid. There was no attempt to handle the situation with the sensitivity and compassion that such exceptional circumstances deserved.
“We had to make the same journey back through the pub in front of other customers before repeating the entire transfer process to get Jane back into the car. After an exhausting physiotherapy session, she was left completely drained. We also felt embarrassed and humiliated.
“What saddened me most was the complete absence of compassion,” he reflected. “Sometimes outstanding customer service is not about making exceptions to policy; it is about recognising when people are facing extraordinary circumstances, treating them with kindness, dignity and respect, and looking for a practical solution wherever possible.”