Nigel Farage reveals ‘disgraced’ Jeremy Kyle’s secret job for Reform
Nigel Farage has confirmed that controversial TV host Jeremy Kyle – whose show was taken off air in 2019 – is media training Reform UK’s candidates
Nigel Farage confirmed it at a press conference today(Image: PA)
Nigel Farage has confirmed that controversial TV host Jeremy Kyle is media training Reform UK’s candidates.
Prospective candidates were quizzed by Mr Kyle at a recent training day, Mr Farage told a rally in Newport today.
Mr Kyle became a household name through his eponymous show, which was taken off air in 2019 after a guest took their own life shortly after appearing in an episode. A coroner later ruled there was no causal link between Steve Dymond’s suicide and his treatment by Mr Kyle.
In recorded footage shown at the hearing, Mr Kyle, who now presents a breakfast show on Talk TV, told the guest to “grow a pair” and “I wouldn’t trust you with a chocolate button”.
At an event, Mr Farage said he had brought in the TV Presenter after learning about the importance of vetting candidates from previous elections with UKIP amid some “wholly unsuitable” selections.
READ MORE: Nigel Farage unveils ANOTHER sacked Tory defector in major event
Speaking about May’s local and Senedd elections, the Reform UK leader said: “The lessons that I learned from that are the vetting and candidate selection are absolutely key.
“And all of these people will be standing, they’ve all been to London for a media training or media scrutiny. Jeremy Kyle interviewing them all. Can you imagine? It was exactly what happened.
“(Presenter) Colin Brazier interviewing them all. These candidates have been road tested. They’ve been put through their paces. We vetted them heavily and that is the fundamental difference.”
In September, Mr Farage revealed he had voted for Reform UK at the last election and hinted that he could stand as a candidate for the party. He said at the time: “I voted Reform in the last election for one reason and one reason only.
“I was brought up [in a] Tory family, low taxation, all the things that you know about, strong military, strong police, all of that. I remember watching a Tory MP in the last election saying when Farage was talking about those things, ‘oh my god, this is far-Right’. It’s not far-Right – the Conservatives, I believe, moved Left.”
He also featured on stage at Reform’s annual conference that month, where he told the audience there was a feeling that there is “change on the way”.
A Labour spokesman said: “Nigel Farage has repeatedly boasted about Reform’s vetting. Yet a string of his candidates and politicians have been caught making racist, sexist and other appalling remarks. It’s laughable that Reform thinks this is an acceptable standard for public office.
“No amount of media training will hide how unfit they are to serve the British public. Only Labour will take on the toxic politics of Nigel Farage, who just wants to divide our communities.”
Lisa Smart, Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokeswoman, said: “Whilst the jokes almost write themselves this is no laughing matter. Reform has asked the public to put their trust in a stream of candidates who would be wholly unsuitable for public office. From criminality to racism to bare-faced antisemitism, it is clear Reform has learnt this lesson far too late.
“The Lib Dems will keep picking candidates who make the best local champions for their communities and leave the lie detectors and disgraced celebrity interviewers to those that need them.”
At the rally earlier, Mr Farage announced a former Tory as Reform UK’s leader in Wales – and unveiled another sacked Conservative as his latest recruit. The Reform leader said Dan Thomas, a former Tory council leader in London who defected last year, has been appointed the party’s new leader in Wales.
And he unveiled James Evans – a former senior Welsh Conservative and current member of the Welsh Parliament – as the newest Conservative defector. Mr Evans was sacked last month over suspicion he was going to join Reform.
First Minister Eluned Morgan branded Reform Wales “packed with Tories jumping ship”, while Plaid Cymru said Mr Farage’s party is “simply recycled, washed-out Tories”. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer warned that every minute not spent talking about the cost of living and fighting against the “toxic division of Reform” is a minute wasted.
