Working in showbiz is full of uncertainty. Will you get another booking? Where's the next cheque coming from? It's the same whether you're a magician, a part-time tribute band, or even an old school comic legend. But if you do get a gig and have signed a contract, you'd like to think you'll get paid. But that could all depend on the man who's booked you.
Rats In The Kitchen are an eight-piece, UB40 tribute band, taking their name from the real group's hit song. They all have other jobs and the band is their hobby outside of work. They've been working the circuit for 11 years, but three months ago, the Rats smelt a rat, and not in their kitchen. The entertainment agent who booked them for a gig never paid them.
They were contracted to do a two-hour show for £1,000. The man who booked them was Leslie Hemmings who runs Birmingham-based Hemmings Leisure. According to his website "your 1st call for live entertainment". Hemmings claims he can book "any artiste or band in the world". He's clearly a showbiz giant - so what could go wrong? The lads thought Hemmings sounded nice on the phone and didn't have any reason not to trust him. They changed their minds after they'd played the gig though - when Hemmings started coming up with excuses not to pay them.
Still waiting to be paid
Three months later the band are still waiting for their cash. They told us that it's money that they can't afford to lose saying: "We feel hurt to be quite honest. You know, we done our part of the bargain. We spent the day up there, we worked hard, we put the show on. And then not to be paid as well, it hurts basically."
Hemmings Leisure doesn't just provide bands. On his website, Hemmings boasts he'll provide any entertainment for weddings and other big events. He claims he can book people such as Bruce Forsyth, Barbara Windsor, even, Nicky Campbell! Brucie and Babs' agents say they've never heard of Hemmings Leisure and Barbara's agent says he wants her name removed from the site immediately.
Whoever you think you're booking, for whatever event, you'll want to know the money you paid has gone to the act that earned it. And that's when Hemmings might do his own special party piece - by making their money disappear, into his pocket.
Excuses
Peter Mehtab has been a professional magician for almost 20 years and has performed for Sting, Bob Geldof and even The Queen. He got paid those times but not when he was last booked by Leslie Hemmings. Hemmings booked Peter in November 2007 and he was supposed to pay him 28 days after the performance. We've seen proof that the venue did give Hemmings the money for Peter's act but Hemmings didn't pass it on and he still hasn't after two years. He keeps giving Peter excuses like he'll pay in seven days or that he's having a bit of a cash flow problem.
It's not unusual to have to wait a few weeks to get paid or even chase a payment now and again - that's just the way the business works. However, you don't expect to have to chase your money all the way to the county courts - certainly not when you're one of the most established names in showbiz.
For 46 years, Tom O'Connor has been one of the country's most popular entertainers. He's gone from working men's clubs to becoming a household name - presenting quiz shows like Crosswits and Name That Tune. But he's never had to rely on a court to get paid, until he was contracted by Hemmings Leisure.
Hemmings booked Tom for a company awards evening in the Midlands in 2005. The contract said he'd be paid within a month. He got some of the money within two weeks but three years later, Tom's still hasn't had the rest. This January his case went to court, where Hemmings was ordered to pay it back. He is paying Tom back in instalments of about £36 a month. Tom told us that the judge called Hemmings a "despicable" businessman.
History of failing to pay
In the court Hemmings was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay four more artists their outstanding fees. On top of that, he's still got County Court Judgements against his name totalling £14,500. Equity is the entertainers union and they're so concerned about Hemmings that they've put him on their list of bad employers. Tim Johnson from Equity say" "Les Hemmings has a despicable history of failing to pay going right back to 2005. And we've a whole series of cases running from that time to the present day and future cases that are coming to us now."
Tom O'Connor says: "It's a nefarious way of going about the trade. Leeching really off the small acts in my profession and that isn't right."
When Watchdog contacted Hemmings he said: "It's most regrettable that me and my business has had to face some unfortunate events and circumstances during the 15 years that I've been trading that's involved acts of embezzlement and bankruptcy perpetrated against me rendering me unable to pay my creditors. In all instances I've done my utmost to dispose of these debts and the majority have been dealt with as I've explained in writing in great detail to the BBC, but some residual debts did remain from 2005 to 2006 due to an act of embezzlement against me at that time and these have been dealt with through due legal process in recent times to the satisfaction of all. During 2008/9 the severe economic downturn and also a company going bankrupt on me in December 2008 took its toll on my business and I had to declare insolvency leaving some debts from that recent time unpaid. I've gone through right and proper due legal process regarding these matters according to law. I've contacted those still owed personally and offered my sincere apologies and made offers to make good with them and the majority have accepted my offers. For the record I've had just two complaints in 15 years of trading from customers, and further, I've been proud to have generated literally hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of well-paid work for performers during the past 15 years and all were paid bar the few exceptions the BBC has chosen to focus on but where I've given legitimate reasons for the causes to the BBC. My difficulties were the exception not the norm.
"Hemmings Leisure still continues to trade and I've made radical changes to my methods of trading two months ago to ensure that what ever events or circumstances may befall me in the future my inability to pay my creditors can never happen again. I've explained in writing in great detail to the BBC what these changes were.
"I find it disappointing that the BBC has chosen to focus only on my 'worst of times'. I've never had any approaches from them when my business was flourishing to congratulate or acknowledge my contribution to the economy and the employment I generated in my 'best of times'."
Hemmings Leisure leaves stars out of pocket
Rats In The Kitchen are an eight-piece, UB40 tribute band, taking their name from the real group's hit song. They all have other jobs and the band is their hobby outside of work. They've been working the circuit for 11 years, but three months ago, the Rats smelt a rat, and not in their kitchen. The entertainment agent who booked them for a gig never paid them.
They were contracted to do a two-hour show for £1,000. The man who booked them was Leslie Hemmings who runs Birmingham-based Hemmings Leisure. According to his website "your 1st call for live entertainment". Hemmings claims he can book "any artiste or band in the world". He's clearly a showbiz giant - so what could go wrong? The lads thought Hemmings sounded nice on the phone and didn't have any reason not to trust him. They changed their minds after they'd played the gig though - when Hemmings started coming up with excuses not to pay them.
Still waiting to be paid
Three months later the band are still waiting for their cash. They told us that it's money that they can't afford to lose saying: "We feel hurt to be quite honest. You know, we done our part of the bargain. We spent the day up there, we worked hard, we put the show on. And then not to be paid as well, it hurts basically."
Hemmings Leisure doesn't just provide bands. On his website, Hemmings boasts he'll provide any entertainment for weddings and other big events. He claims he can book people such as Bruce Forsyth, Barbara Windsor, even, Nicky Campbell! Brucie and Babs' agents say they've never heard of Hemmings Leisure and Barbara's agent says he wants her name removed from the site immediately.
Whoever you think you're booking, for whatever event, you'll want to know the money you paid has gone to the act that earned it. And that's when Hemmings might do his own special party piece - by making their money disappear, into his pocket.
Excuses
Peter Mehtab has been a professional magician for almost 20 years and has performed for Sting, Bob Geldof and even The Queen. He got paid those times but not when he was last booked by Leslie Hemmings. Hemmings booked Peter in November 2007 and he was supposed to pay him 28 days after the performance. We've seen proof that the venue did give Hemmings the money for Peter's act but Hemmings didn't pass it on and he still hasn't after two years. He keeps giving Peter excuses like he'll pay in seven days or that he's having a bit of a cash flow problem.
It's not unusual to have to wait a few weeks to get paid or even chase a payment now and again - that's just the way the business works. However, you don't expect to have to chase your money all the way to the county courts - certainly not when you're one of the most established names in showbiz.
For 46 years, Tom O'Connor has been one of the country's most popular entertainers. He's gone from working men's clubs to becoming a household name - presenting quiz shows like Crosswits and Name That Tune. But he's never had to rely on a court to get paid, until he was contracted by Hemmings Leisure.
Hemmings booked Tom for a company awards evening in the Midlands in 2005. The contract said he'd be paid within a month. He got some of the money within two weeks but three years later, Tom's still hasn't had the rest. This January his case went to court, where Hemmings was ordered to pay it back. He is paying Tom back in instalments of about £36 a month. Tom told us that the judge called Hemmings a "despicable" businessman.
History of failing to pay
In the court Hemmings was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay four more artists their outstanding fees. On top of that, he's still got County Court Judgements against his name totalling £14,500. Equity is the entertainers union and they're so concerned about Hemmings that they've put him on their list of bad employers. Tim Johnson from Equity say" "Les Hemmings has a despicable history of failing to pay going right back to 2005. And we've a whole series of cases running from that time to the present day and future cases that are coming to us now."
Tom O'Connor says: "It's a nefarious way of going about the trade. Leeching really off the small acts in my profession and that isn't right."
When Watchdog contacted Hemmings he said: "It's most regrettable that me and my business has had to face some unfortunate events and circumstances during the 15 years that I've been trading that's involved acts of embezzlement and bankruptcy perpetrated against me rendering me unable to pay my creditors. In all instances I've done my utmost to dispose of these debts and the majority have been dealt with as I've explained in writing in great detail to the BBC, but some residual debts did remain from 2005 to 2006 due to an act of embezzlement against me at that time and these have been dealt with through due legal process in recent times to the satisfaction of all. During 2008/9 the severe economic downturn and also a company going bankrupt on me in December 2008 took its toll on my business and I had to declare insolvency leaving some debts from that recent time unpaid. I've gone through right and proper due legal process regarding these matters according to law. I've contacted those still owed personally and offered my sincere apologies and made offers to make good with them and the majority have accepted my offers. For the record I've had just two complaints in 15 years of trading from customers, and further, I've been proud to have generated literally hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of well-paid work for performers during the past 15 years and all were paid bar the few exceptions the BBC has chosen to focus on but where I've given legitimate reasons for the causes to the BBC. My difficulties were the exception not the norm.
"Hemmings Leisure still continues to trade and I've made radical changes to my methods of trading two months ago to ensure that what ever events or circumstances may befall me in the future my inability to pay my creditors can never happen again. I've explained in writing in great detail to the BBC what these changes were.
"I find it disappointing that the BBC has chosen to focus only on my 'worst of times'. I've never had any approaches from them when my business was flourishing to congratulate or acknowledge my contribution to the economy and the employment I generated in my 'best of times'."
Hemmings Leisure leaves stars out of pocket