"If he is prepared to lie for relatively paltry sums, what is he prepared to do for larger amounts?"
Nigel Farage has fallen for another prank on Cameo, where he has made over £150,000 recording personalised video clips for people over the last year.
The Reform leader was “tricked into” paying tribute to the convicted Lostprophets singer, Ian Watkins.
He received £98 for making the 27-second clip, which was requested by John Smith.
In the video, Farage called the former Lostprophets singer, who was killed in prison last year, “a good man, a really good guy”.
He pretended to know Watkins, stating that he “is very much in contact with me”.
Farage also said: “He loved his children and will be sorely missed by them forever. He will always hold a very special place in everybody’s heart.”
Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences before he was stabbed in the neck in October in an attack at HMP Wakefield. Two men have been charged with the offence.
Smith said he had not expected Farage to film the clip and was “blown away” when he responded to his request.
Smith told the Metro that “Getting the video was simplicity itself, I just asked him to do a video on behalf of a late friend called Ian Watkins and his family”.
He added: “I am concerned that he could not see through my frankly paper-thin deception and his willingness to do anything for money without even a rudimentary check. If he would do this for a small amount of money, what would he do for paymasters with deeper pockets?”.
This isn’t the first time Farage has fallen for pranks on Cameo. In 2021, he unwittingly issued a message of support to the IRA, ending a birthday message with: “Up the Ra!”.
“I hope to show the world that Farage is a man who will do and say anything for whoever is paying him. I suspect he has no actual ideology and will follow the path to power that offers the least resistance.
“If I could speak directly to him I would ask why he did not do even a rudimentary check? Will he blindly accept what he is told by the Kremlin, the White House or anyone with £70 going spare for a Cameo?”.
Asked if he thought the prank made light of Watkins’ crimes, Smith said: “No, I am worried that Farage’s support of Grok and its ability to generate obscene images of women and children, his giggling at PMQs yesterday makes light of these crimes.
“My favourite part was the fact he knowingly lied saying ‘Ian’ was someone he knew well. If he is prepared to lie for relatively paltry sums, what is he prepared to do for larger amounts?”.
When asked by Metro about the latest clip, Farage said: “Thank him for the money. There are lots of Ian Watkins. Tell him to send more. I did alter his request.”
Farage has not clarified in what way he altered his request.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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