A long-buried 1970s showbiz scandal has exploded back into the public eye — but this time, the woman at the heart of it is speaking out and setting the record straight.
For more than fifty years, Tony Blackburn’s outrageous claims about wife-swapping, four-way affairs, and bedding hundreds of women have been the stuff of tabloid legend. But Margot Webb, Tony’s former neighbour and lover, has had enough of the fantasy. In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Margot is finally revealing the truth about their brief affair — and it’s nothing like the lurid tales Tony’s been telling for decades.
“He Was the Worst Lover I Ever Had”
Back in the mid-1970s, Tony Blackburn was a massive name in British radio, married to the rising star Tessa Wyatt. Just next door lived Margot Webb, an actress, and her husband, Roger, a composer with a successful career. The two couples were close friends, enjoying poolside get-togethers, croquet, and family dinners in their charming Berkshire village. It was an idyllic scene that seemed too perfect to be true. But Tony later claimed that behind closed doors, there was a “love square” involving Margot, him, and their spouses
However, Margot says Tony’s account is far from reality. “He was the worst lover I ever had,” she admits, delivering a savage blow to his inflated ego. “Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. He didn’t have a clue.”
In contrast to the wild stories Blackburn has spun about orgies and wife-swapping, Margot insists the reality was far more tame. The glamorous gatherings by the pool were filled with croquet, children splashing in the pool, and everyone in swimming costumes — no naked pool parties or wild debauchery as Tony would have you believe.
“From the way he goes on, you’d think we were throwing orgies,” Margot laughs. “What is wrong with him?”
She also firmly denies Blackburn’s claim that her husband Roger had an affair with Tessa, calling him a “gentle, shy man” who would have been horrified by such allegations.
Mascara, Mirrors… And Major Insecurity
Margot sheds light on a far more insecure and vain Tony Blackburn than the cocky womanizer he portrayed on-air. She describes him as obsessively checking his reflection in the mirror, applying mascara to cover his bald patch, and refusing to go out in the rain.
“He would spend an hour in front of the mirror every morning,” Margot says. “He was very vain — and very insecure.” She even gave him the nickname “Noddy” because, as she put it, “he looked like a puppet.”
Dedicated On-Air… While Married
One of the most shocking revelations Margot shares is Tony’s behavior on-air while they were having their affair. He would casually reference their relationship on Radio 1, dedicating songs about infidelity to her — all while his wife, Tessa, could have been listening.
But behind that on-air bravado, Margot says, Tony was a jealous and emotionally needy man who drained her.
Why She’s Speaking Now
Margot reveals that she kept quiet for years, but Tony’s recent podcast and rumors of a new autobiography have pushed her to finally speak out. “Why is he still going on about something that happened 50 years ago? People who aren’t here anymore can’t defend themselves — it’s hurtful,” she says.
Margot’s late husband Roger and their daughter Julia, who tragically died in a car accident in 2005, were both tarnished by Tony’s myths. “I wasn’t in love with Tony. I was only ever in love with Roger,” she reflects, wanting to protect his memory.
The Fallout
The affair marked the beginning of the end for Blackburn’s marriage. Tessa Wyatt eventually left him, finding success in the sitcom Robin’s Nest and moving on with actor Richard O’Sullivan. Tony remarried and started a new family, but his obsession with revisiting past relationships seems to remain undiminished.
Margot’s message to him is simple:
“Little romantic episodes happen. They don’t need to be turned into lurid legends.”
