Carol Vorderman has demanded an apology from the Reform UK candidate standing in the upcoming Makerfield byelection for what she describes as “disgusting comments” he made about her on social media. The broadcaster and former Countdown numbers expert called Robert Kenyon a “cowardly man” for a series of offensive posts that have since been deleted, along with his social media account.
Kenyon, a Wigan councillor, has been backed by Reform UK to face Andy Burnham in next month’s byelection. Vorderman, who last week posted a video labeling Kenyon a misogynist, told the Daily Mirror on Tuesday that she wants “an apology from Rob Kenyon, to me, and to all the other people he’s abused online”.
Party Defense of Kenyon
Danny Kruger, who joined Reform last September, defended Kenyon’s comments on BBC Radio 4 on Monday. While acknowledging the posts were “inappropriate”, Kruger said they were not viewed as serious enough within the party for Kenyon to be removed as their candidate. He added that he was “not going to judge people for what are essentially regarded at the time and intended as private conversations”.
Kruger conceded it was “clearly wrong for politicians to talk in that way”, but argued: “He was not a politician at the time, he was an ordinary man from an ordinary place, and what he’s done now is step forward, outraged at the state of our country and the state of his community.”
Vorderman’s Response
Vorderman dismissed Kruger’s defense, stating that being an “ordinary man” was no excuse and that the public nature of Kenyon’s posts meant they should be considered online abuse. “I’m 65, I grew up in north Wales in abject poverty, I spent half of my life living in the north, whether it was Leeds, or Manchester, or that strip of north Wales,” said Vorderman. “And he says Kenyon is just an ordinary man saying ordinary things. No, I’m sorry, Kenyon isn’t an ordinary man. He’s a cowardly man, which is why he deleted one of his social media accounts.
“They are public comments on a public platform and if Danny Kruger thinks online abuse is OK then Reform are therefore stating online abuse against women is OK, then all women in Makerfield need to know that.”
Further Controversial Posts
Labour’s Angela Rayner also criticized the comments, telling the Mirror that “it says all you need to know about Reform that they are allowing this repulsive misogynistic abuse to stand.” Additional comments from Kenyon have been uncovered on other social media sites, including a rugby league forum from 2019. The I Paper found posts where Kenyon claimed that women who have abortions do so for “vanity purposes” and to “shag anyone they want”. The Independent reported that Kenyon posted that women cannot “ref, drive or give directions”, that women presenting rugby on TV “aren’t up to the job and only there to tick a box”, and that he declared: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”
Reform UK’s Stance
A Reform spokesperson responded to the forum posts, saying: “These comments were made before Cllr Kenyon entered politics. Rob is perfectly entitled to his own personal opinions on abortion. In this country, this issue has always been a matter of conscience, regardless of which party a politician represents. Rob isn’t a polished, professional politician and doesn’t speak like one. That’s precisely why he’ll be a straight-talking, effective voice for normal working people in Makerfield.”
Reform UK and Wigan council have been contacted for further response.
