Manuel Fernandez, a close friend and business partner of Sarah Ferguson, allegedly used connections to the Royal Family to threaten a former employee with jail. The incident, revealed by a BBC investigation based on recordings, involved a worker at Fernandez's failed lifestyle app, vVoosh.

The worker, identified as "Alex," was reportedly told by Fernandez that police would investigate him for jeopardizing royal security by hacking emails. Ferguson was an investor and ambassador for vVoosh, and the worker claims Fernandez leveraged these royal ties to impress both investors and staff.

Fernandez, however, has strongly disputed the allegations regarding his conduct and vVoosh's financial standing. Representatives for Sarah Ferguson did not respond to requests for comment. Ferguson and Fernandez were photographed together frequently between 2015 and 2017, with Ferguson describing their relationship as one of friendship and business partnership.

vVoosh, a tech startup based in London's Shoreditch area, aimed to launch a social networking service similar to Facebook. The company ultimately collapsed last year without ever releasing a product. Company filings indicated Ferguson held approximately 1% of the shares and had loaned the company around £50,000.

Recordings, letters, and WhatsApp messages from a former insider have raised questions about Fernandez's alleged misuse of royal connections and what Ferguson may have known. "Alex," who worked at vVoosh for about six years, claims he was engaged only as a contractor, like many colleagues.

In June 2017, "Alex" received a WhatsApp message from Fernandez stating he had an urgent meeting at "B Palace" concerning the company due to its "VIP shareholders." "Alex" was asked to meet Fernandez the following day. Facing thousands in unpaid invoices due to the company's financial difficulties, "Alex" decided to record the meeting on his mobile phone for protection.

At the beginning of the recorded meeting, another individual, identifying himself only as Mark, allegedly took "Alex's" other phone, claiming it belonged to the company and refusing to allow "Alex" to retrieve his personal data.