Yahoo News Fred Siriex reignites feud with Nigel Farage
The First Dates star has reignited his feud with his former I'm A Celebrity campmate following the announcement he is standing in the general election.
Fred Sirieix has said Nigel Farage has "no substance" and "no vision" when it comes to politics.
The First Dates star has reignited his feud with his former I'm A Celebrity campmate following the announcement his is standing in the general election.
Brexit pioneer Farage has announced that he has "changed his mind" about standing for election on 4 July and is returning as leader of Reform UK for the next five years. But French maitre d' Sirieix, 52, said Farage "is not interested in making the UK a better place".
The TV star responded to Farage's election announcement by posting on social media: "I spoke at length and extensively with Nigel Farage for 3 weeks while in the jungle. I wanted to make my own mind up about him and his views. Conclusion is simple.
"He was very good at washing the dishes in the river but when it comes to politics he has no plan and no substance. No vision. No concrete policies. He is not interested in making the UK / the world a better place. He just rants."
I spoke at length and extensively with Nigel Farage for 3 weeks while in the jungle. I wanted to make my own mind up about him and his views. Conclusion is simple. He was very good at washing the dishes in the river but when it comes to politics he has no plan and no substance
— Fred Sirieix (@fredsirieix1) June 4, 2024
Unlikely friendship
Sirieix got to know politician Farage, 60, when they both competed in ITV jungle reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in December 2023. They spent 17 days in the Australian together, and while they did debate politics, they appeared to bond over household chores.
Sirieix struck up an unlikely friendship with Farage in the jungle, with the pair often doing camp duties together. On exiting the jungle he told hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly: "Nigel is a doer we can work together collect wood and water together." But he added: "There is a side of Nigel Farage I can't connect with and will never connect with."
Brexit beef
The pair grew close in camp despite Sirieix confronting Farage on his political views and sparking a heated debate about Brexit. Sirieix asked Farage directly what was the benefit of the UK choosing to leave the European Union.
Sirieix asked: "What’s the benefit of Brexit then? If you are an average person from Britain, what’s the benefit?" Farage responded: "To know that we're independent, we stand on our own two feet in the world."
Sirieix then brought up Ukip's campaign poster claiming that immigration was at "breaking point" which was reported to the police for racial hatred at the time. He said: "Brexit was about immigration, I remember your poster. I thought it was shameful what you did Nigel. Shameful."
Farage defended the poster, saying: "Sadly, sadly it was absolutely true. It was a poster showing mass young men moving illegally across borders." Sirieix hit back: "It was about demonising migrants." Farage disagreed: "No it wasn't. In your view it was but it wasn't." Sirieix insisted: "It's not only my view."
The Brexiteer then shared his views, saying: "Brexit is about one thing and one thing only; being self-governing. We’re in charge. We can get it right, we can make an absolute mess of it but we’re in charge and the people who make those decisions we can hire and fire at elections where they have real power."
Sirieix challenged: "I think the average person in the UK has lost out because of what you've done." The row rumbled on and the other campmates all left them alone, until eventually the First Dates star declared: "We will have to agree to disagree."
Political divide
Sirieix is French. He moved to London in 1992 and built a career working in top restaurants, before finding fame on Channel 4 dating show First Dates in 2013. He became celebrated on the show not just for charming manners and efficient service, but for philosophical musings about love and life.
Farage was a businessman who quit the Conservative party in 1992 and founded the UK Independence Party, commonly known as Ukip, as a campaigning eurosceptic.
As part of his efforts to end Britains membership of the European Union he stood for election as a member of the European parliament for south-east England, and was voted in in 1999. Inspite of being a serving MEP he then used his position to highlight his objections to the EU. Farage went on to lead the Brexit Party from 2019 to 2021.
Although Farage left Ukip over what he called its "anti-Muslim fixation", his own views are controversial.
His opinions on immigration have led to accusations of racism. Notable lows have included blaming his lateness at an event on immigration. He said, "A country in which the population is going through the roof chiefly because of open-door immigration and the fact that the M4 is not as navigable as it used to be." Once he said he felt "uncomfortable" hearing people talk in different languages in public.
Farage had said he would not be standing as an MP in the upcoming general election. However he has now announced he will stand as a Reform UK candidate in Clacton-on-sea, Essex.
Read more: Nigel Farage
Who is Nigel Farage? (BBC News, 3 min read)
Nigel Farage live: Protestors and supporters clash in Clacton (Independent, 16 min read)
Fred Sirieix tells Nigel Farage that he destroyed the economy with Brexit (Evening Standard, 2 min read)
