Nigel Farage has branded an attack on him by Carol Vorderman as “sad”, after she labelled him a “liar and a grifter”.
Vorderman, 65, took a swipe at the Reform UK leader in The Telegraph yesterday, implying he is absent MP — one who rarely attends PMQs and would “destroy” the NHS.
“He’s the worst thing,” she told the newspaper. “He doesn’t turn up for the Prime Minister’s questions. He would destroy the NHS. This is a time where we all have to stand up and fight.”
When asked asked about the TV presenter’s comments at a press conference on his rescue plan for pubs, Mr Farage said: “People can abuse me all they like.
“I never ever bother to return the compliment.”
He added: “I might have teased people over the years for being damp rags, but I’ve never actually really verbally assaulted or abused anybody. I’m not going to start now.
“I just, you know, it’s sad, but hey, bring it on. Come and stand in Clacton (where he is the MP).
“We will look forward to seeing you.”
When speaking to The Telegraph, Vorderman highlighted her desire to join in the “political fight”, although it is unclear how this will look.
The former Countdown presenter has moved on from X, formerly Twitter, calling it a “cesspit” and has cited death and rape threat concerns since Elon Musk drastically reduced content moderation on the platform.
Vorderman has now turned to Instagram to continue her political posting and claims to be a keen reader with 10 news apps she checks four times a day.
The presenter has been frequently outspoken in her political views and was a major critic of the Conservative government between 2020 and 2024.
Following her departure from the BBC in 2023 due to her social media activity, she has positioned herself as an independent, anti-corruption campaigner focused on "fixing broken Britain”.
Vorderman holds the honour of being the first TV presenter to be sacked from the BBC twice.
Speaking to The Telegraph yesterday, she said: “People are going ‘politics isn’t for me’, well, it is when you need the NHS, when your police forces are diminished and violence is inherent for women and girls.
“I won’t forgive myself if I don’t step up. I’m coming back into the political fight later this year.”
