British social media personality 'Big John' Fisher has been deported from Australia after border officials determined he was working on a tourist visa. Fisher, known for his fast food reviews and 700,000 Instagram followers, was detained for four hours at Perth Airport on Tuesday before being sent home.
Fisher had been scheduled to make four appearances in Australia, including at Perth's Ascot Racecourse and Sydney's Wentworth Park greyhound track. He told the Metro newspaper that border force officers informed him his visa did not allow others to profit from his work, referencing the companies he was working for. 'Well, no one told me,' he said.
In a video with over 300,000 views, Fisher said he was being held in a 'holding hotel' and would fly home on Wednesday, his birthday. 'They're not happy with what I'm doing here so they're sending me home,' he said. He apologised to fans in Perth and Sydney for missing his appearances.
Fisher later described the detention as 'quite simply one of the worst experiences of my life' and said he was 'treated like a criminal by Perth border control'. He claimed his wallet and possessions were confiscated. He said he offered to cancel his meet-and-greets and have a '100% pure holiday' but was still forced to leave.
Fisher's son Johnny, a heavyweight boxer known as the Romford Bull, confirmed the deportation on Instagram, joking that 'rumour has it [the Aussies] are frightened of his express pace bowling ahead of the Ashes'. An Australian Border Force spokesperson declined to comment on individual cases due to privacy obligations.
