Dr David Bull has been unveiled as the new chair of Reform UK after Zia Yusuf sensationally quit the role last week.
The former doctor and ex-deputy chair of Reform is a popular figure among members and first joined Nigel Farage’s team when he became an MEP for the Brexit Party in 2019.
After the furore surrounding Mr Yusuf’s sudden departure last week – and subsequent return days later to run Reform’s Donald Trump-inspired Doge cost-slashing unit – Mr Farage needed a replacement to run the party who could act as an internal diplomat.
He will also need to persuade potential donors to part with their money, with Reform lagging behind the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems in attracting financial support. This was another problem identified with Mr Yusuf as chair by his critics.
Dr Bull fits the role as the former co-deputy leader has spent a lot of time supporting members and helping the party get up on its feet.
But the NHS doctor turned TV presenter has also had a colourful career, not least as a presenter on the paranormal TV show Most Haunted Live!.
The 56-year-old was born in London but grew up in rural Suffolk from the age of four before studying medicine at Imperial College London.
He studied at St Mary's Hospital Medical School at Imperial College London, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine degree, a Bachelor of Surgery degree (MBBS) and a Bachelor of Science honours degree (BSc) in 1993.
He gave up his medical career in 2009 as his television interests grew, although his licence was temporarily restored to allow him to help out in the Covid crisis in 2020.
His career as a broadcaster began on Sky’s Travel Show, and he later went on to present Newsround and a string of shows for the CBBC children’s channel.
Using his medical experience, he also presented shows offering advice, such as Call the Doctor.
Dr Bull’s interest in politics came quite early, running unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Conservative Party in Brighton Pavilion in 2010. He has clashed with Mr Farage in the past, taking to social media in 2014 to describe the Reform leader as an “idiot”. “ Nigel Farage’s comments are ill-judged, prejudiced and dangerous. HIV can affect anyone regardless of sex, race and class,” he said, responding to the then UKIP leader’s suggestion that HIV-positive immigrants should not be offered treatment on the NHS.
After the EU referendum in 2016, he joined Mr Farage’s Brexit Party in 2019 and became an MEP for North West England.
He has run unsuccessfully a number of times since as a candidate for the London Assembly and West Suffolk in 2024.
Currently, he is a presenter on TalkTV and has remained active in Reform as deputy chair. He is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, and wore an ear bandage in solidarity with the US president while presenting his TalkTV show following the Republican’s attempted assassination on the campaign trail.
After Mr Trump won the election in 2024, Dr Bull said “what a result”.
Dr Bull has also repeatedly railed against what he describes as the encroachment of “woke” culture, including lashing out at airline TUI for stopping addressing passengers as “ladies and gentlemen” in a gender-neutral drive. “When will this madness stop?” he said at the time.
He has also attacked Rachel Reeves as “Rachel from accounts” – an insult branded sexist by backers of the chancellor – over her tax hikes in Labour’s autumn Budget.
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