Nigel Farage purchased a £1.4 million property using funds he received from appearing on the reality television show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Reform UK has confirmed.
The clarification comes after Sky News reported that the Reform UK leader had acquired the house in 2024, shortly after receiving a £5 million personal gift from billionaire donor Christopher Harborne. Property records indicate the purchase was completed in May 2024, weeks before Farage decided to stand in the general election.
Farage has consistently denied any link between the gift from Thailand-based crypto-investor Harborne—who has donated millions to Reform UK—and the property transaction. On Friday, the party stated that the house was paid for with the fee Farage received for participating in ITV's I'm A Celebrity in November 2023, where he finished third. Reports suggest he was paid approximately £1.5 million for his appearance.
A Reform UK spokesperson elaborated: "The relevant chronology is straightforward. The offer and purchase process for the property commenced before the gift. Mr Farage had already passed proof of funds and the relevant checks before receiving the gift. The purchase was therefore already proceeding independently of it."
In a post on X, Farage labelled the report as "fake news by the establishment media who will do anything to hurt Reform as we challenge their cosy consensus." He added, "I had passed proof-of-funds and the relevant checks before receiving the gift. Sky News did not publish that part of our statement despite knowing the truth."
The Press Association understands that Reform UK is considering legal action in response to the report. Meanwhile, Farage faces an investigation by the Commons sleaze watchdog over the undeclared £5 million gift, which he has previously stated there is "no case to answer."
According to Farage, the gift was not connected to his political activities and was intended to fund private security for the rest of his life. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, has opened an investigation under rule five of the MPs' code of conduct, which requires new MPs to register relevant financial interests received in the 12 months before their election within one month of entering Parliament.
In an interview with The Sun, Farage described the gift as "completely unconditional," adding, "Frankly, it was given as a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years." When asked if the gift might have influenced his decision to return to public life, he responded, "I can't be bought by anybody, not even Elon Musk."
Earlier reports had suggested that a donation to Reform could be made through a branch of Musk's X company, though relations between Farage and the tech billionaire have since cooled. Farage remarked, "He wanted to give us a load of money if I said certain things publicly and I refused. I didn't do it so I made an enemy of Elon Musk, but that shows you I am my own man. I make my own mind up."
In 2018, Farage was reportedly docked £35,000—half his monthly salary as a member of the European Parliament—following allegations that he misspent EU funds. The BBC reported that he was investigated over claims that his office assistant had not been working on EU matters.
