Nigel Farage faced fierce criticism during a live appearance on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday after defending Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon's explicit comments about Carol Vorderman as 'football pub banter'. The party leader was grilled by presenters Ranvir Singh and Ed Balls following Kenyon's defeat in the Makerfield byelection on Friday.
Farage defends candidate's remarks as 'lads' banter'
Kenyon had sparked outrage after resurfaced posts from 2021 showed him endorsing a graphic and sexually explicit comment about former Countdown star Carol Vorderman. Responding to the post, Kenyon wrote, 'He's only saying what we're all thinking,' alongside a thumbs-up and laughing emoji. Vorderman demanded an apology in May, calling Kenyon 'a cowardly man'.
On GMB, Farage described Kenyon as a 'great bloke – plumber, rugby player, ex-army guy,' before Singh interjected: 'And sexist.' Farage continued, calling Kenyon a 'drinker' and 'one of the lads', adding: 'If you go into pubs tonight, when England are playing football, you would hear all sorts of banter that in the cold light of day would not look good. That did us harm.'
Presenters challenge Farage's defence
Singh pressed Farage on whether he had asked Kenyon to apologise to Vorderman. Farage initially said the presenter 'directly involved herself' in a political campaign by writing letters to constituents. Singh countered that Vorderman 'was brought into it because your candidate didn't apologise to her'.
Ed Balls chimed in: 'We can't even say on breakfast television what was said because it's so bad.' Farage retorted: 'And it will be in every pub tonight! That's the point I'm making.' Balls refused to accept the comparison, arguing: 'Most men do not say that kind of thing about women.'
Farage then added: 'What was said by him was lads' banter. I don't approve of it. I don't approve of it at all, all right? Not at all, in any way.' He pivoted to policy, claiming female voters 'were very much in our favour' thanks to Reform's campaign on law and order, 'because they're worried about their kids on the streets'.
Public and media react to Farage's stance
Viewers criticised Farage on social media. Matthew Walne wrote on Instagram: 'Good to see GMB scrutinising him, he seems to get away with it on most other programmes.' Harry Michael Haines commented: 'It's not a good defence at all Nigel. Muppet of a man.' Broadcaster Gavin Ramjaun called it 'Lads' banter… from the 1970s'. Jude Moore noted: '“I don't approve of it at all” but I'm going to sit here defending it.'
Singh also brought up Reform's former head of communications, Gawain Towler, who wrote that Farage was wrong not to demand an apology from Kenyon, as it came up on doorsteps that an apology 'would have won over women voters who were minded to vote for Reform but they simply don't want a sexist'. Farage pushed back: 'I can't force people to say things,' adding he had asked Kenyon 'to think very hard about what to do'. 'I don't bully people,' he said.
Balls confronts Farage over condoning sexism
Balls then said: 'You're doing the opposite of asking him to apologise, you're calling it banter and saying it's what men say in the pub. That sounds like you condoning it, when you say male banter.' Farage insisted: 'I've made it very clear, I don't approve of it. But these things do get said.'
Farage claimed that with Andy Burnham's victory in the byelection – and presumed confirmation as the next prime minister following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation yesterday – Reform was about to get 'a real opponent'. 'So politics is about to get interesting,' he said.
Good Morning Britain airs Monday to Friday from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.
