The head of Pride in London has been dismissed following allegations of misappropriating £7,000 worth of donated vouchers to buy high-end perfumes and Apple gadgets.

Christopher Joell-Deshields lost his position after an inquiry was initiated concerning claims of financial misconduct, fund misuse, and failing to protect volunteers from bullying.

Serving as CEO since 2021, Joell-Deshields frequently mingled with celebrity advocates like Naomi Campbell. However, he faced suspension amid accusations of spending sponsor-donated vouchers on luxury items.

Insiders revealed that £7,125 in vouchers, intended for volunteers, were allegedly used by Joell-Deshields to purchase items such as an Apple HomePod speaker, Apple AirPods, and costly fragrances like Creed Aventus, which starts at £165.

The whistleblowers indicated that the nature of these purchases appeared to serve personal interests rather than any organizational needs.

Before his termination at the end of last month, Joell-Deshields reportedly continued to receive his full salary of £87,500 during his suspension. He has denied all accusations of wrongdoing.

In a statement, Pride in London’s board of management said Mr Joell-Deshields is ‘no longer employed by or affiliated with London LGBT Community Pride’ – the community interest company that runs the annual event.

He appealed against the decision, but it was subsequently upheld by an independent reviewer. Pride did not say whether it had found the allegations against him proved.

Pride in London CEO Christopher Joelle-Deshields (pictured) has been sacked after an investigation into allegations he misused donations to buy Apple products 

Mr Joelle-Deshields (pictured centre in black) had been CEO of Pride in London since 2021 and regularly rubbed shoulders with stars such as Naomi Campbell (third from left, front)

The organisation said: ‘In September 2025, the London LGBT Community Pride Board (trading as Pride in London) commissioned an independent investigation into allegations relating to Christopher Joell-Deshields’ conduct while he was CEO of Pride in London, prior to his suspension by the Board on 29th August 2025.

‘Following the findings of the independent investigation, his employment has been terminated. This decision has been reviewed and upheld by an independent counsel following an appeal process.’

It has appointed Rebecca Paisis as interim CEO, who said in a statement that she was focused on ‘delivering another safe and successful event and leading the organisation with integrity.’

Pride in London declined to comment further when approached by the Mail today. Mr Joell-Deshields was contacted for comment.

He remains in a legal dispute with the organisation after he was accused of trying to frustrate the investigation.

In September, a High Court judge granted an injunction against the former Pride boss, requiring him to hand back control of Pride’s operational systems and bank accounts, and work equipment he had been given.

It served to effectively block him from speaking on Pride’s behalf. However, he continued to tell the press that he remained CEO regardless. 

Companies House records show his control of the company was cut off on August 27 2025.

He previously told the Guardian: ‘The current legal and governance matters relate to the organisation itself. 

‘These matters are being addressed through the appropriate channels, and it would be inappropriate to litigate them in the press.

‘Nothing in this statement should be interpreted as an admission of any allegation, nor does it comment on any other individual.’

However, he appeared in court in January accused of two counts of contempt of court for failing to comply with the order.

He admitted one count of contempt for failing to provide a signed statement confirming he had returned property.

Pride in London costs more than £1million to put on each year and sees more than a million people take to the streets of the capital

However, his representatives said he had not returned a company laptop as it was bought for him after his own personal laptop was damaged while it was being used for work. 

It is understood that Pride in London bosses eventually regained access to their systems and accounts.

The BBC reports that lawyers for Pride in London returned to court on March 27, alleging that company property including a laptop had not been returned seven months after he was asked to hand them back.

The High Court made an order to find in Pride’s favour if he does not file a defence in the next two weeks. 

Pride is expected to go ahead as normal in July. The event costs upwards of £1million to run each year, largely funded by corporate sponsors who pay up to £8,500 to enter a float into the parade, which is watched by over a million people.

It also receives £125,000 from the Greater London Authority – the office of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan – for the Pride parade each year.

However, it is thought that cutbacks in diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have presented a challenge for Pride events.

Liverpool Pride was cancelled last year amid financial pressures before being relaunched on a smaller scale, while Manchester Pride entered liquidation in 2025 owing £70,000 to performers and £1.3million to suppliers.

Pride in London was also targeted by pro-Palestine protesters last year.

Activists threw red paint on the lead float in the parade in protest at the event’s sponsorship by firms they said were linked to Israel’s military action in Gaza.