Carol Vorderman has demanded an apology from Reform UK's candidate in the Makerfield byelection, Robert Kenyon, over what she described as “disgusting comments” he made about her on social media. The broadcaster and former Countdown star called Kenyon a “cowardly man” for a series of offensive posts that have since been deleted.
In 2021, Kenyon responded to a post about Vorderman where another user wrote: “My god I’d love to smell and lick your arsehole,” by saying: “He’s only saying what we’re all thinking.” Vorderman told the Daily Mirror she wanted an apology from Kenyon to her and to others he had abused online.
Danny Kruger, who joined Reform last September, defended Kenyon, telling BBC Radio 4 that while the comments were “inappropriate”, they were not serious enough for Kenyon to be dropped as a candidate. Kruger said Kenyon was “an ordinary man from an ordinary place” at the time and that he had since stepped forward out of concern for the country.
Vorderman dismissed that defence, saying being an “ordinary man” was no excuse and that public posts should be considered online abuse. She accused Reform of condoning online abuse against women. Labour’s Angela Rayner also criticised the comments, saying they showed “repulsive misogynistic abuse”.
Further comments from Kenyon were uncovered on a rugby league forum from 2019, where he claimed women have abortions for “vanity purposes” and that women cannot “ref, drive or give directions”. A Reform spokesperson said Kenyon was entitled to his personal opinions on abortion and that he would be a “straight-talking, effective voice for normal working people”.
