Green Party Leader's Apology for Hypnosis Claims Questioned After BBC Interview Emerges
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green party, has faced renewed scrutiny over his past claims that hypnosis could increase breast size, with a recently uncovered BBC interview casting doubt on his assertion of an immediate apology. The controversy stems from a 2013 article in The Sun, where Polanski, then a hypnotherapist before entering politics, participated in a session with a journalist to explore whether hypnosis could enlarge her breasts.
Discrepancy in Apology Timeline Revealed
Polanski has repeatedly expressed regret for the episode, stating he took full responsibility for agreeing to the Sun interview and emphasising that his work focused more on improving body image than physical changes. He claimed to have apologised in a BBC interview the day after the Sun article was published in June 2013. However, the BBC has reported it cannot locate any interview with Polanski from that specific day.
Instead, the broadcaster has unearthed an interview Polanski conducted with BBC Humberside six days after the Sun article. In excerpts from this footage, Polanski did not issue an apology and instead discussed the hypnosis technique as a "successful project" with the Sun journalist, noting anecdotal evidence of breast size growth from other clients.
- Polanski stated, "We've done it a couple of times and there seems to be no shift, but actually, increasingly more and more as I work with people, there is starting to be anecdotal evidence at least of a growth in breast size."
- He referenced the Sun journalist's experience, saying, "With her breast size, in the Sun article, she says that she grew four inches. It didn't change her cup size, she stayed the same cup size, but she said it was a tighter fit."
- When pressed on his personal belief in the technique, Polanski replied, "I believe that it can happen in theory," while adding his preference was for sessions aimed at boosting confidence rather than physical alteration.
Political Reactions and Further Context
A Labour source criticised Polanski, commenting, "Zack Polanski's ego might have got bigger, but nothing else has. It's now clear that his pretence to have been misrepresented over his breast enlargement hypnosis scam was absolute nonsense – he got called out years later."
In May of last year, when announcing his bid to lead the Greens in England and Wales, Polanski addressed the Sun article in an interview with The Guardian. He expressed regret, describing himself at the time as "a young Londoner who was holding down four jobs" and viewing the episode as a way to discuss body image alternatives to surgery. He reiterated his apology, stating, "I've apologised for it, and I stick by that apology."
A Green party source defended Polanski, noting, "Zack has repeatedly apologised for an interview he did with the Sun more than a decade ago. Now, Zack is focused on the issues that really matter to people: bringing down bills, protecting the NHS and rebuilding our public services."
