Farage’s Remarks in Paid Video Could Impact Reform UK’s Welsh Election Prospects
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, referred to Welsh people as “foreign speakers” in a personalised video message he recorded for a fee, a revelation that may complicate the party’s ambitions in the upcoming Welsh elections.
The comments were made in a video Farage produced on Cameo, a platform where public figures and celebrities create paid personalised video messages for members of the public. The video was commissioned to celebrate a wedding.
This video was discovered by among over 4,000 clips Farage has made on Cameo. The platform allows users to submit a short prompt for their chosen celebrity, who then charges a fee to record a typically brief message.
Farage’s use of Cameo has previously attracted scrutiny following a investigation that revealed various videos he recorded.
Details of the Video and Farage’s Comments
The specific video in question was recorded in July 2025, for which Farage charged £106. The Cameo user requested a wedding message for "Toby and Sam" and provided a script that included the line:
“I really wanted to come, but when I heard that half the guests were Welsh, I thought: ‘That’s far too many foreigners for me’.”
The video itself appeared to have a technical glitch, containing two versions of the same message. In the first version, Farage stated:
“Gutted I couldn’t attend the wedding today. I really wanted to come, but when I heard half the guests were Welsh, I thought: ‘No, that’s too much, I might get mobbed. Who knows what would happen?’”
In the second version, he said:
“Gutted I couldn’t attend the wedding. I wanted to come, but I heard that half the guests were Welsh, and I don’t know. Who knows what would have happened with all those foreign speakers there. I don’t know.”
Potential Impact on Reform UK’s Senedd Election Campaign
These remarks could harm Reform UK’s campaign to gain control of the Senedd, the devolved Welsh parliament currently governed by Labour, in the elections scheduled for May.
Farage has described the Senedd elections as a “referendum” on Keir Starmer’s premiership. Notably, a document he released during the campaign contained spelling errors in two of the three Welsh words on its cover.
Polling by More in Common indicates that some voters perceive Reform UK as “disconnected from the Welsh language, its culture and priorities.” The party has pledged to abolish the target of one million Welsh-language speakers and to reverse the Welsh Language Standards, which campaigners argue would jeopardise the provision of Welsh language services.
Additional Controversial Cameo Video from 2021
Another Cameo video Farage recorded in March 2021 raises questions about the nature of his paid commissions. In this instance, the user requested a birthday message for someone who “doesn’t like scousers or the Welsh.”
Farage accepted this request and charged £75. In the message, he said:
“You have a slight aversion to the Welsh and scousers. Well … you have to pick and choose where you go. You never know, they might not like you too much either.”
Farage’s Spokesperson Responds
A spokesperson for Nigel Farage stated:
“A Cameo is a short personalised message requested by members of the public and should not be treated as political statements or campaign activity.”
