A plane crash, I’m A Celeb stint and finally winning a seat – the controversial career of Reform MP Nigel Farage
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again – that’s surely the Nigel Farage mantra after the controversial political figure has finally become a Member of Parliament after eight attempts.
The former UKIP and Brexit Party candidate proved victorious in the 2024 General Election.
Now acting as the Reform UK leader, Farage will represent the Essex seat of Clacton, having won by a majority of nearly 10,000.
Some might remember the Brexiteer and his antics on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here.
The ex-Ukip leader swapped politics for reality TV last year, but he has dabbled in the media for several years, with his own show on LBC and presenting on GB News.
GB News became his new home after he resigned as the leader of Reform UK in 2021.
However, after a a bombshell U-turn, Farage returned to the helm of the part after Richard Tice stepped aside for him.
But what does Farage’s life look like beyond politics?
I’m A Celebrity 2023
It was revealed that Farage would be heading into the jungle in November 2023.
The 60-year-old joked that he was not afraid of the I’m A Celebrity jungle after dealing with ‘snakes in the European Parliament,’ LBC reported.
He described himself as ‘a hero to some people and an absolute villain to millions.’
Despite happily joining the celebrity jungle, Farage was less thrilled about being compared to ex-health secretary Matt Hancock, who appeared on the same reality show in 2022 as well as SAS: Who Dares Wins.
During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls asked him what his thoughts were on being compared to the former health secretary, to which he responded: ‘The idea that I could be compared to Matt Hancock on any level I find difficult to deal with.’
Plane crash in 2010
Farage had a narrow escape after a plane carrying a UKIP banner crashed during an election stunt for a seat in Buckingham.
He was bloodied and bewildered as he and the injured pilot Justin Adams emerged from the wreckage.
The politician was treated at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he remained for a few days.
His spokesperson said at the time he suffered two broken rips, a small chip to his spine and damage to his sternum, adding that Farage said that he is ‘lucky to be alive.’
How rich is Nigel Farage?
Farage has reportedly accumulated a net worth of around £3,200,000, according to the website Celebrity Net Worth.
He first worked as a commodities trader after leaving school in 1982, but has reportedly made a large sum of money during his decades-long career.
However, while considered a millionaire, the Reform UK leader’s wealth is far behind that of Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak.
Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty boast a fortune of £651,000,000, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
Meanwhile, Farage is reportedly the highest paid ever on I’m A Celebrity after banking £1,500,000 for his appearance on the show, MailOnline reports.
It was despite fans threatening to boycott the series due to Farage’s divisive views.
Nigel Farage’s family and relationships
London resident Farage has been married twice and he has four children.
The right-wing politician has most recently been romantically linked to Laure Ferrari, a French politician.
Ferrari and Farage first met when the latter was a member of the European Parliament in 2007 in Strasbourg, where Ferrari studied while working as a waitress, according to Sky News.
The pair have been romantically linked since 2017, following reports that they were sharing his London home.
They made their first public appearance together in December last year after Farage left the celebrity jungle.
She greeted him on a bridge outside the camp, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek.
Farage’s first wife was Gráinne Hayes, who he married in 1988. The pair had two children before divorcing in 1997.
In 1999, Kirsten Mehr and Farage tied the knot and the couple share two children, who reportedly have both British and German passports thanks to their parents’ nationalities.
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