While most politicians haven’t taken the platform seriously, the Reform UK leader is an astute content creator – and is reaping the benefits
Nigel Farage was born to be a TikTok star. He joined the platform in March 2022, announcing “it’s got to be done, it’s where it’s at” in a video that has been watched more than 600,000 times. He is still one of the first politicians to bother taking the platform seriously, and it is paying him vast dividends. The Guardian reported last week that Farage is outperforming all other UK parties and candidates on TikTok in terms of engagement and average views, according to data from 22 May to 17 June.
Farage has been prolific in his output since his election candidacy was announced. He posted several times a day for the first two weeks of his campaign, flooding the algorithm with short, characterful videos that resonate powerfully with his fanbase. The recipe to his success is clear: he’s willing to be opinionated, comical and – most compellingly in British politics – himself.