Dr David Bull has been announced as Reform UK's new chairman following Zia Yusuf's resignation last week.
A well-liked member of the party, the former doctor was the party's deputy chair before joining Nigel Farage's team in 2019 as a Brexit Party MEP.
His selection stands in contrast to Mr Yusuf, a multimillionaire businessman and 38-year-old political novice who primarily served as the party's chairman out of the shadows.
Reform UK is dividing Mr Yusuf's position into several positions, such as a new head of operations and head of treasury, instead of designating a direct successor. Additional leadership changes will follow in the upcoming weeks.
Mr Farage stated during a London event that Dr Bull's role will be to “give leadership” to campaigners rather than “get involved in the admin”.
Shortly after declaring that Sarah Pochin, the new Reform MP, was “dumb” for urging the prime minister to outlaw the burka, Mr Yusuf abruptly resigned from his position last week.
He claimed at the time that it was not “a good use of my time” to work for a Reform UK government.
Two days later, though, he seemed to change his mind and declared that he would still work for the party, but in a new capacity.
He will now head the party's “Doge team” which is based on US President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and seeks to reduce “wasteful” expenditure in councils that the Reform currently controls.
Who is Dr David Bull?
Reform UK’s new chairman is a former hospital doctor who entered the broadcasting industry soon after earning his degree from St Mary's Medical Hospital School in London in 1993.
He is mostly known for presenting the paranormal reality TV show Most Haunted Live! from 2002 to 2005, while working as an anchor for the BBC's Newsround current affairs show beforehand.
In terms of his political career, he was previously the deputy leader of Reform UK from 2021 to 2023 and co-deputy leader with Ben Habib from 2023 to 2024. He also briefly served as a Brexit Party MEP.
Dr Bull was the Tory parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion under David Cameron's leadership before joining Farage's Brexit Party. However, he resigned in 2009 to lead a review of sexual health policies.
In his first book, Cool And Celibate: Sex And No Sex, he made the case for the advantages of teen abstinence.
What is his background?
While he is mostly known for his political and presenting roles, Dr Bull comes from a strong medical background.
Dr Bull worked for the NHS as a GP and emergency doctor at Whittington Hospital in London, as well as a pre-registration house officer at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington and Ealing Hospital NHS Trust.
As a junior doctor, he continued to practise surgery, general medicine, and accident and emergency.
In March 2020, Dr Bull's licence to practise was temporarily reinstated in response to the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK (his licence having been ceased in 2009 and 2017).
However, he does not currently hold a medical licence in the United Kingdom.
What is his relationship status?
Dr Bull is reportedly single.
He confirmed his sexual orientation at Brighton’s Pride Parade in 2007 by wearing a t-shirt with the phrase “I've come out... I'm a Tory”, indicating that it was acceptable to be both gay and Conservative.
