‘You want him cancelled!?’ Row breaks out on Breakfast over Nigel Farage ‘haters’

Eamonn Holmes began the conversation as the panel discussed the day’s headlines, asking commentator and journalist Mike Buckley what he made of Nigel’s performance.

“I would have to say I didn't see it. I can imagine he probably was Nigel, you know, his usual kind of charismatic self. I mean, I find him objectionable and I think actually it's quite irresponsible of ITV to be putting him on.”

Political commentator Suzanne Evans interrupted asking, “Well, you want him cancelled? Mike, I'm sorry, you want him cancelled?”

“I just think he's been he's been a toxic figure in our country for a long time now and this is an entertainment show I think is the wrong place for him to be. And I think actually the media is giving him too much time and attention over the last 15 to 16 years anyway.”

Moving away from Nigel specifically, Isabel Webster chimed in: “There’s a growing trend of politicians now being celebrities and he's just the latest in a long line of those. I think Nadine Dorries was the first to go in. Stanley Johnson, former MEP, father of PM. We've had Matt Hancock and now Farage. So you know are politicians kind of celebrities now?”

Buckley responded: “To a degree they are. But is that a good thing for society? I don't know. I mean, I would suggest not.”

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Evans came back in, saying “There was always a saying, wasn't there, that politics was show business for ugly people and, I don't know, maybe that's true. I'm not saying that Nigel Farage or Matt Hancock are ugly, although I appreciate that some people might think their policies are.

“But I actually think Nigel did a very good job. He came across as being very hard working. He rolled his sleeves up, he got on with the job. He stuck his face in a van full of snakes and was rooting around in gunge for tokens, for food.

“But we've not seen the real Nigel Farage yet, I don't think. It’ll be interesting to see if we do.”

When asked by Eamonn Holmes what she meant asking 'Who is the real Nigel?' Evans responded: “Well, I think the Nigel Farage that we've seen so far was was quite nervous but showing some leadership skills. I think perhaps as he goes on in the series, he'll become more confident. He might open up more about his personal life.

“You know, Nigel's really suffered from this idea of him being toxic and it's taken a huge toll on his personal life. As he said to me just the other day: ‘I can't walk out in London to go and get a pint of milk without having some kind of abuse hurled at me’.”

Buckley interrupted, saying: “He's made that choice over the last 15 or 20 years. You know, he has chosen to be the person he's been. He's caused disruption in our politics. He's got his objectionable views towards migrants and other people, vulnerable people. You know, he's chosen to be this person. If you can't walk out in public, he’s only got himself to blame.

“I mean I don't at all approve of somebody being attacked in the street, but he has made that choice. He has chosen that to be his reality. Nobody's chosen that for him.”

Suzanne Evans disagreed: “Everybody should be able to walk the streets and certainly somebody that just says what a lot of people are thinking.”