❓WHAT HAPPENED: Rock legend Rod Stewart has endorsed Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, with the Trump ally expressing surprise and praising Stewart’s performance at the Glastonbury Festival.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Rod Stewart.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Farage made his comments on British radio on July 3.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Politically, I never would have expected him to say that, but I think he’s reflecting what many millions of the country are reflecting.” — Nigel Farage
🎯IMPACT: The endorsement shows a broadening acceptance and support for Reform UK among celebrities and mainstream figures as the party leads in many national polls.
Nigel Farage has praised rock legend Rod Stewart’s Glastonbury set as the highlight that “saved” the festival, following a storm of controversy over an anti-Semitic and anti-British performance aired live by the BBC. Stewart closed the weekend’s Legends slot on the Pyramid Stage, joined by fellow icons Lulu and Ronnie Wood.
Farage took aim at the BBC for broadcasting punk-rap artist Bob Vylan’s set, during which he led the crowd in chanting “Death, death to the IDF” and performed a song including the lyrics, “I heard you want your country back? Shut the f**k up… you can’t have that!”
Farage said Stewart’s classic set that brought a sense of unity and relief: “Thank goodness, at the end, for Lulu and Rod Stewart! That sort of saved the whole thing, didn’t it, really?” The Reform Party leader also expressed surprise that Stewart had endorsed him and his party, saying it was not something he expected.
“Politically, I never would have expected him to say that, but I think he’s reflecting what many millions of the country are reflecting,” he said. Stewart expressed his support during an interview, saying, “We’re fed up with the Tories. We’ve got to give Farage a chance. He’s coming across well.”
Farage also slammed the BBC’s handling of the Bob Vylan incident, questioning why the broadcaster, with 400 staff on-site, failed to cut the controversial stream. “They should have used the delay, which they could have done quite comfortably,” Farage said. “Why did no one exercise any discretion at all?”
The BBC has since admitted fault, saying: “The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”
Meanwhile, Bob Vylan has been dropped by the UTA talent agency in the wake of the performance. President Donald J. Trump’s administration has also revoked the duo’s visas, meaning they cannot perform in the United States.
‘Thank goodness for Rod Stewart.’
@Nigel_Farage says the future of Glastonbury is not safe in the BBC’s hands. pic.twitter.com/1z9aP2Yfsl— LBC (@LBC) July 3, 2025
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.
