Nigel Farage, Derek Chisora and Trump Jr attend Trump fundraiser

Nigel Farage was pictured alongside British boxing pro Derek Chisora and Donald Trump Jr at a Chelsea fundraising bash this evening as former president Trump turned his attention to wooing Britain’s celebrity elite.

Farage, taking a break from his own election trail to attend, was snapped outside the private residence venue in West London today, smiling and offering ‘good evening’ to waiting paparazzi as he arrived.

The Reform UK leader – who said previously he had been offered a job offer related to Trump’s campaign – arrived alone, holding a copy of the Gospel According to St John, per The Times. 

Hosted by former Neighbours star Holly Vallance and organised by Trump’s ambassador to Spain, Duke Buchan, some 100 guests were expected to attend the event raising money for the presidential campaign, with reception tickets costing as much as £8,000 ($10,000), according to the Financial Times.

The fundraiser, which has already clocked up $2million (£1.57million) in donations, is being billed as a reception and dinner with the former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, and his fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a lawyer and former Fox News host. 

Guests were given just an hour’s notice of the location before doors opened this evening.

Among them was boxing professional Derek Chisora, pictured sporting a red Make America Great Again cap and gold chain.

In March, Farage shared a picture with Chisora, then also wearing the hat and an OnlyFans-branded hoodie, captioned ‘Make Boxing Great Again’. 

Matthew Elliot, former chief executive of Vote Leave, was also in attendance at the Chelsea fundraiser, according to The Times.

The former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, was pictured with guests near the house as he left after sunset.

One woman was heard shouting ‘vote Biden!’ from a nearby rooftop.

Mr Farage arrived smiling for the cameras following speculation he could attend in spite of his election campaign at home.

Asked if attending would interfere from his own campaign, Reform party spokesperson told the Evening Standard: ‘What Nigel gets up to is his call. It would be absurd to suggest he’s not concentrating on the campaign.

‘We’ve got over 600 candidates running in this election – I’m utterly uninterested in what Nigel wants to do on one night.’ 

As many as 100 guests were expected to attend, including a number of American Republicans – some of whom were part of Trump’s White House between 2017 and 2021. 

Invites to the fundraiser list a variety of categories which guests can make donations under, such as ‘host committee’ ($100,000 a couple) and dinner ($50,000). Just to attend costs $10,000, while a photo opportunity is $25,000. 

Trump Jr is looking to target wealthy Americans in London for campaign donations as they try to close a big funding gap opened by Biden in the race for the White House.

It comes after his father became the first former president in US history to be criminally tried and convicted last month when he was found to have falsified money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

‘After the bogus conviction of my father, we have seen an explosion in financial support from American citizens across the globe, who are rejecting Joe Biden’s attempt to use the courts to interfere in the presidential election. 

‘I’m excited to see my friends in London who are all ready to Make America Great Again this November,’ Trump Jnr said in a statement.

The Financial Times reports that Biden’s campaign will hold a rival fundraiser in London on the same day, hosted by Anna Wintour, the British-born editor of US Vogue.

Wintour, who also endorsed Biden during his 2020 campaign, hosted another fundraiser for the US president during Paris Fashion Week in March.

Neighbours star Valance, who last week claimed she convinced Farage to stand to be an MP in July’s general election, qualifies to make donations to Trump as a US green card holder.

The 41-year-old and her billionaire property tycoon husband Nick Candy have been publicly associated with Trump and Farage since at least April 2022, when the now-Reform leader shared a photo of the group following a dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

The former actress and pop star said she talked Farage around after he initially decided against running – before he announced that he would stand in Clacton, Essex.

Valance said she had been ‘whispering in [Farage’s] ear for a long time, saying, ‘Come on, pull your finger out, give the people what they want’.’

There were also rumours Valance herself was going to run as a candidate for Reform and before that, as a Tory candidate in the London mayoral elections.

Other hosts at tonight’s Trump fundraiser include New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, who was Trump’s ambassador to the UK, George Glass, his ambassador to Portugal, and Duke Buchan, his ambassador to Spain.

Richard Grenell – former acting director of US national intelligence who serves as US ambassador to Germany – is also due to attend – as is Scott Bessent, who has been touted as a possible treasury secretary.