Having read some of the frankly unpleasant and borderline abusive posts here, that felt unnecessarily aggressive (threats about no one likes a snitch was a particular low), I've stepped back from the thread. Sadly this thread is descending into the deeply unpleasant way FT works these days which is to personally attack the poster for asking a reasonable question. I have been on FT for 20yrs, but this thread has left me realising I'll probably step back from tje site due to its immense toxicity.

For the record, (and as noted in my OP) the crew member abandoned the briefing TWICE - The first time made sense as he was responding to passenger noting external issues. Once he knew it was a VIP then he was aware it was not a safety issue. To then abandon it again to gaze out the window is my point of concern around behaviours, particularly as he was the senior cabin crew manager onboard.