Doubts have been raised over Nigel Farage’s claim that he paid for a £1.4m property using the fee he got for appearing on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
Last week, it was reported by Sky News that Farage purchased a £1.4m house in Surrey in May 2024, just weeks after receiving a £5m sum from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Farage did not declare the £5m and is under investigation from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over whether this constituted a breach of the Commons Coded of Conduct.
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When approached over the property purchase, Reform UK said the offer and purchase had commenced before Harborne’s money was sent to Farage.
Farage’s spokesperson told the BBC on Friday that the Clacton MP had bought the house using the money he earned from appearing on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
However, a report from the Financial Times has now challenged this claim.
Farage had told the publication last year that his I’m A Celeb fee, which was around £1.5m before tax, was paid to his personal media company Thorn in the Side Ltd.
The company’s accounts show its cash position increased from £300,000 on May 31 2023 to £1.7mn on May 31 2024, and suggest that no dividend was paid out in the period.
The FT reports that the company’s cash position then increased from £1.7mn to £2mn between May 2024 and May 2025.
But property records show that it was Farage, and not his company, that bought the Surrey house, which doesn’t have a mortgage.
Tax expert Nimesh Shah told the FT the accounts suggest money from Farage’s reality TV show appearance was not used to purchase the house.
He said Farage’s claim needs “to be clarified because the company’s accounts are not consistent with their statement”.
In a statement to the FT, Reform said: “Nigel has multiple sources of income, as you can see from his parliamentary register.”
Over recent weeks, Farage has come under scrutiny over the £5m from Harborne, which he received just weeks before announcing his U-turn on standing at the 2024 general election.
Harborne has since gone on to donate £12m to Reform UK, who have become the most pro-crypto party in British politics.
Farage did not declare the £5m and is being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over whether this constituted a breach of Commons rules.
The House of Commons code of conduct states that “new MPs must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election”.
Farage has maintained he didn’t have to declare the £5m gift, which he says was given to him by Harborne to help fund his personal security.
Reform UK have said the money was a “personal unconditional gift” unrelated to politics.
However, in an interview with the Sun last week, Farage said the money had been sent to him as a “reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years.”
Separately from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, the Electoral Commission are weighing up whether to investigate the £5m payment to Farage.