Nigel Farage hit back at Kemi Badenoch on Thursday after the Tory leader took aim at him for being a reality star. Badenoch used a newspaper interview to insist that “politics” is not “showbusiness” in reference to Farage’s I’m A Celebrity stint.
The Reform leader said Mrs Badenoch “got it so wrong” and “rather misses the point”. He highlighted how US President Donald Trump, Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky and ex-US President Ronald Reagan all had media careers.
Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Farage added: “I don’t think the fact that people know who I am is negative. It is positive.
“When it comes to whether voters would want me to run the country, even my sternest critics must acknowledge that I have a record of consistency as far as my views are concerned. This means that people know what they’re going to get.”
The Clacton MP said Mrs Badenoch “has a problem” as “most members of the public have no opinion of her” and “even fewer know what she stands for”.
He said: “I have an idea for her. She could appear on a reality TV show herself. A spell in the I’m a Celebrity… jungle would be perfect. I’ll gladly give her some tips if she wants to sign up for the next series.”
Mr Farage’s comments came after Mrs Badenoch played down his chances of entering No 10.
She told The Telegraph: “Having appeal doesn’t mean that people want you running their lives. That’s one of the things that we need to make sure that we remind people.
“This isn’t I’m A Celebrity or Strictly Come Dancing. You don’t vote for the person that you’re enjoying watching and then switch off when the show’s over.
“You’ve got to live with that person in your life, in your family’s life, at work and so on. That’s what elections are about.
“It’s not just about watching a show and switching it off. We’ve got to move away from politics as showbusiness.”
It comes as Reform UK has topped a series of national opinion polls.