{"id":36167,"date":"2026-08-10T08:59:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T03:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36167"},"modified":"2026-08-10T08:59:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T03:59:48","slug":"carol-vorderman-urges-clacton-voters-to-back-banksy-of-politics-count-binface-in-farage-by-election-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36167","title":{"rendered":"Carol Vorderman urges Clacton voters to back &#8216;Banksy of Politics&#8217; Count Binface in Farage by-election battle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_71ac79\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">EXCLUSIVE: The Countdown legend, who labelled the Reform leader \u2018awful\u2019 and said she is a \u2018big fan\u2019 of PM Andy Burnham, also did not rule out going into politics herself<\/h2>\n<div data-testid=\"commercial-video-box\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"primis\" data-tmdatatrack-index=\"1\" data-tmdatatrack-id=\"primis\" class=\"sc-56effa45-0 coBNyR\">\n<div class=\"sc-cfd18f1f-0 cyxXUg\">\n<section>\n<div class=\"PrimisPlayer_primis-container-lead__uRu_T\" data-testid=\"primis-player-lead\"><span class=\"PrimisPlayer_headline__EYzoH\">Carol Vorderman on if politics is in her future<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Carol Vorderman has urged voters in Clacton to back Count Binface in his by-election battle against <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/nigel-farage\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Nigel Farage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Countdown legend, who labelled the Reform leader \u201cawful\u201d, also did not rule out going into politics herself. Mr Farage, under fire over funding revelations, triggered a by-election after quitting last month \u2013 claiming he wanted constituents to judge his actions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But he has been accused of a political stunt, with major parties declining to stand candidates against him for Thursday\u2019s vote. Mr Farage\u2019s main challenger in the Essex constituency has emerged as Count Binface, who Carol has thrown her support behind.<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37528783\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37528783\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Count Binface pictured during his 2024 campaign to become London Mayor\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37528783.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_Count-Binface-London-UK-12-Apr-2024.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37528783.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/1_Count-Binface-London-UK-12-Apr-2024.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37528783.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/1_Count-Binface-London-UK-12-Apr-2024.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37528783.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/1_Count-Binface-London-UK-12-Apr-2024.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Count Binface, pictured during his 2024 campaign to become London Mayor, is fighting in the Clacton by-election\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Count Binface, pictured during his 2024 campaign to become London Mayor, is fighting in the Clacton by-election<cite aria-label=\"Image: James Veysey\/Shutterstock\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: James Veysey\/Shutterstock)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Asked if she had any messages for the people of Clacton, Carol, 65, told the <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Mirror<\/a>: \u201cBin for the win, bin for the win, bin for the win, bin for the win.\u201d Binface\u2019s pledges include a referendum on whether Pluto should regain its status as a planet and for <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/wayne-rooney\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Wayne Rooney<\/a> to be an expert for the <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/bbc\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">BBC<\/a>\u2019s coverage of Eurovision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">No fewer than 34 candidates are standing in the contest, including three wannabe MPs from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. <!-- -->It comes as Mr Farage has been probed by the parliamentary standards commissioner over an undeclared \u00a35 million gift from crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne before he became an MP. Mr Farage has argued the gift was private and there was no obligation to declare it. The investigation was suspended due to his resignation, but set to resume if he wins the by-election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In a piece penned for the Independent last month, Carol wrote: \u201cI&#8217;m absolutely backing Binface. He&#8217;s like the Banksy of politics.\u201d She added: \u201cReform UK had obviously prepped all these serious, slick campaign videos of Farage looking wistfully out to the Channel to run as part of his big summer relaunch, pitching the by-election as \u2018people versus the establishment\u2019. Well, the establishment is now a fake alien with a bin on his head. And everything Farage does from here on in is a joke.\u201d<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37526549\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37526549\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nigel Farage\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37526549.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/2_Reform-UK-Press-Conference-On-Migration-London-England-United-Kingdom-03-Aug-2026.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37526549.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/2_Reform-UK-Press-Conference-On-Migration-London-England-United-Kingdom-03-Aug-2026.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37526549.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/2_Reform-UK-Press-Conference-On-Migration-London-England-United-Kingdom-03-Aug-2026.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37526549.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/2_Reform-UK-Press-Conference-On-Migration-London-England-United-Kingdom-03-Aug-2026.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Farage has been probed by the parliamentary standards commissioner over an undeclared \u00a35 million gift from crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Farage has been probed by the parliamentary standards commissioner over an undeclared \u00a35 million gift from crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne<cite aria-label=\"Image: Thomas Krych\/ZUMA Press Wire\/Shutterstock\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Thomas Krych\/ZUMA Press Wire\/Shutterstock)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Asked if she had any thoughts of going into politics herself, Carol told the Mirror: \u201cI\u2019m not saying I won\u2019t. I got very involved in the Makerfield by-election because\u2026 I\u2019m a big fan of <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/andy-burnham\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Andy Burnham<\/a>. I\u2019m not saying everything he does is right because I\u2019m independent as far as a political party is concerned. But, I thought, he\u2019s got to get in and become PM otherwise we could have the awful Farage\u2026&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Burnham\u2019s victory in the Makerfield by-election in June saw him return to Westminster and subsequently replace <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/keir-starmer\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Keir Starmer<\/a> as PM. In May, Carol demanded an apology from Reform UK\u2019s candidate in the Makerfield contest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It followed plumber Robert Kenyon being exposed for past vile social media comments including about Carol. In 2021, Mr Kenyon responded to a user on X who wrote a vulgar sexual message about Carol. After another user criticised the remark, Mr Kenyon said: \u201cHe\u2019s only saying what we\u2019re all thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Kenyon later told the BBC he had &#8220;not made sexual remarks about <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/Carol-Vorderman\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Carol Vorderman<\/a>&#8220;, but responded to someone else&#8217;s post with a &#8220;crass joke&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EXCLUSIVE: The Countdown legend, who labelled the Reform leader \u2018awful\u2019 and said she is a \u2018big fan\u2019 of PM Andy Burnham, also did not rule out going into politics herself Carol Vorderman on if politics is in her future Carol Vorderman has urged voters in Clacton to back Count Binface in his by-election battle against&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37528770.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200d\/2_2026-Womens-Football-Awards-Arrivals.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36167\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}