Paula Jackson, also known as “Wild Child”, returns to The Terry Stone Connection for a powerful part two interview that goes deeper into her life with Pat Tate and the world surrounding the Essex Boys.
For years, Paula’s name has been surrounded by rumour. Some knew her as Pat Tate’s partner, others as a figure connected to the Essex underworld, and some even believed she was dead. In this latest conversation, Paula speaks openly about Pat, Tony Tucker, Craig Rolfe, the Rettendon murders, and the fear, loyalty and paranoia that surrounded those final days.
Paula Jackson and Pat Tate
One of the central parts of the interview is Paula’s relationship with Pat Tate. She explains how they first met after Pat had come out of prison, describing herself as young, confident and already aware of the world around her.
According to Paula, Pat pursued her for around a month before she agreed to go out with him. Their relationship quickly became intense, with Paula saying she spent large amounts of time with him and became deeply involved in his world.
She describes Pat as more than the violent figure often shown in films and documentaries. In her words, he was a gentleman around women and children, someone who loved his family and had a softer side away from the public image.
The Real Pat Tate
The Essex Boys story has been told many times, but Paula believes much of the public narrative has been shaped by people who were not close enough to know the full truth.
In the interview, she claims Pat was not simply the out-of-control figure often portrayed. She talks about his loyalty, his business interests, his need for protection, and the constant sense that danger was never far away.
Paula also speaks about how Pat moved through that world with caution. She says he was always aware of exits, surroundings and threats. According to her, this was not a glamorous lifestyle, but a full-time state of survival.
Tony Tucker, Craig Rolfe and Shifting Loyalties
A major focus of the episode is Paula’s view of Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe. While the Essex Boys are often presented as a trio, Paula suggests the reality was more complicated.
She claims Pat and Tony were the real central relationship, while Craig was closer to Tony and trying to prove himself. Paula also says that several people warned Pat about Tony, with concerns that Tony was bringing trouble into Pat’s life.
Throughout the interview, Paula repeatedly returns to the idea of loyalty. She says Pat trusted her, listened to her, and that this caused tension with others around him. In her view, the shifting loyalties around Pat, Tony and Craig played a major role in the danger that followed.
The Nipper Ellis Incident
Paula also discusses the shooting of Pat Tate by Nipper Ellis. She claims the incident was connected to resentment, jealousy and a fallout within the group.
According to Paula, Nipper was punished socially after the shooting, but not in the way many might expect from that world. She suggests that attention from police and the wider situation around him made retaliation more complicated.
This part of the interview gives more insight into the atmosphere Paula says surrounded Pat at the time: suspicion, betrayal and the constant feeling that someone close could become a threat.
The Build-Up to the Rettendon Murders
The Rettendon murders remain one of the most infamous crimes in British criminal history. On 6 December 1995, Pat Tate, Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe were found shot dead in a Range Rover on a farm track in Essex.
Paula’s account focuses less on the crime scene itself and more on the atmosphere leading up to that night. She claims there were warning signs, conversations and changes in behaviour that suggested something was wrong.
One of the most striking moments in the interview comes when Paula says Pat told her she could not come with him that night and that he “might not come back”. She also says he told her that if anything happened to him, she should run.
Paula’s Reaction to Pat Tate’s Death
Paula says she found out about Pat’s death through the news. She describes the shock of seeing reports of the murders and realising that her world had changed instantly.
What follows is one of the most dramatic parts of the episode. Paula claims she disappeared after Pat’s death and even arranged for a false story to circulate that she had been murdered. She says this helped her stay off the radar and escape the danger she believed was around her.
For many listeners, this explains why Paula remained such a mysterious figure for nearly three decades.
A Woman’s Perspective on the Essex Boys
What makes this episode stand out is Paula’s perspective. The Essex Boys story has often been told through police files, crime films, books, rumours and male voices from the underworld. Paula brings a different angle: someone who says she was emotionally close to Pat and present around the people involved.
She speaks about fear, control, protection, drug use, money, relationships and the emotional cost of that lifestyle. While many of her claims remain her own account, they add another layer to a story that continues to fascinate people across the UK.
Why This Interview Matters
Part two of Paula Jackson’s interview is not just another Essex Boys retelling. It is a personal account from someone who says she lived inside that world, saw the tensions first-hand and felt the danger before the murders happened.
For fans of true crime, British gangland history and the Rettendon case, this episode offers new claims, emotional detail and a clearer sense of who Paula Jackson says Pat Tate really was.
Whether people agree with every part of her account or not, Paula’s return to The Terry Stone Connection adds a fresh voice to one of the UK’s most talked-about crime stories. And with Paula hinting that there is still more to tell, it feels like the Wild Child story is far from over.
