I’m a Celebrity: Nigel Farage reveals he was once ‘run over’ by car

Nigel Farage referenced the time he was hit by a car on the latest episode of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.[1][2][3] Ahead of this year’s first elimination[4], the former UKIP and Brexit Party leader told his campmates[5] how he was once “run over” during a discussion about injuries they’ve suffered in the past[6]. When This Morning host Josie Gibson[7] revealed she once broke her wrist at a house party, and had to have the bone re-broken because she left it so long to go to the hospital, Farage told her: “Josie, I can top all of that – I got run over.”

Gibson replied: “Nige, I’ve never known anyone like it – you’ve been in a car accident, you’ve got run over, you’ve been in an aeroplane accident,” to which Farage said: “Still here!” While Farage did not go into specifics about the accident, it seems he was referring to an incident that saw him hit by a Volkswagen Beetle in Orpington in 1985. Farage wrote in his memoir that he was hit by the vehicle as he was walking towards a pelican crossing, writing: “I grasped the lamp’s stalk and swung myself into the street.

I remember nothing more.” The GB News[8] host was thrown into the air and landed on his head, which hit the curb. Following the incident, Farage spent two months in hospital and had his leg in cast for a year.

Farage previously addressed injuries he sustained after being involved in an aircraft crash. In the lead-up to the general election in 2010, Farage suffered a punctured lung, two chipped vertebrae, several fractured ribs and a fractured sternum[9] after the aircraft plunged to earth. At the time, the controversial politician was the leader of Ukip[10] and was beginning his Brexit[11] campaign to encourage the nation to back the ‘Leave’ campaign to exit the European Union[12].

Nigel Farage on ‘I’m a Celebrity’ (ITV) He told his campmates: “I don’t recall being unconscious, but I do recall the explosion, the plane flipping over, being stuck in there, everything broken… every rib front and back, split sternum, punctured lung… it was bad.” Story continues

The plane crashed in Brackley, Northamptonshire, and an inquiry later found that the Brexit banner the plane was flying had become entangled,[13] causing the plane to nosedive. In an interview with The Sun[14] ahead of his time on I’m a Celebrity, he confirmed that these injuries made him exempt from some of I’m a Celeb’s physical challenges. Elsewhere during Sunday night’s episode, First Dates star Fred Sirieix grew infuriated with the former UKIP and Brexit Party leader following a chat about the environment[15], during which he told Farage he was “fixated” on blaming things on other European countries.

Meanwhile, Farage also clashed with Sam Thompson[16], who he said was doing “f*** all” in the camp. Thompson vented his frustrations in the Bush Telegraph, calling Farage a “d***” for “ratting me out”. I’m a Celebrity…

Get Me Out Of Here! airs Sunday to Friday at 9pm and Saturday at 9.30pm on ITV.

References

1. ^ Nigel Farage (www.independent.co.uk)
2. ^ the latest episode (www.independent.co.uk)
3. ^ I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here. (www.independent.co.uk)
4. ^ this year’s first elimination (www.independent.co.uk)
5. ^ his campmates (www.independent.co.uk)
6. ^ injuries they’ve suffered in the past (www.independent.co.uk)
7. ^ Josie Gibson (www.independent.co.uk)
8. ^ GB News (www.independent.co.uk)
9. ^ several fractured ribs and a fractured sternum (www.independent.co.uk)
10. ^ Ukip (www.independent.co.uk)
11. ^ Brexit (www.independent.co.uk)
12. ^ ‘Leave’ campaign to exit the European Union (www.independent.co.uk)
13. ^ found that the Brexit banner the plane was flying had become entangled, (www.independent.co.uk)
14. ^ The Sun (www.thesun.co.uk)
15. ^ grew infuriated with the former UKIP and Brexit Party leader following a chat about the environment (www.independent.co.uk)
16. ^ Farage also clashed with Sam Thompson (www.independent.co.uk)