Nigel Farage has spoken of his frustration – and asked if “the whole thing is rigged” – after a TV awards website crashed shortly after he revealed he had been shortlisted for News Presenter of the Year.
The former UKIP leader, who now presents his own show, Farage, on GB News, took to his Twitter account to encourage fans to persevere in casting votes in order to help him bag the prestigious Television and Radio Industries Club gong. The ceremony, which celebrates the ‘great and the good’ of the industry, takes place on June 27.
Farage, 59, who faces competition from the likes of Piers Morgan, Eamonn Holmes and Fiona Bruce, had asked his 1.7 million followers for help in causing a ‘massive upset in the TV industry’ on Monday morning (May 8). But it appears TRIC’s website couldn’t handle the volume of subsequent traffic as it went offline moments later.
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Frustrated Farage said: “So many people are trying to vote that the TRIC Awards website has crashed. Do keep trying the link, or come back to vote later!”
And one disgruntled user responded: “Just tried. Filled it all out. Then it wouldn’t submit the form.”
Another declared: “Nigel it is rejecting any vote for Nigel Farage. Many of us have noticed this. I’ve tried ten times. Each time it failed to register my Nigel vote. Btw I voted for none of the others?! It’s a fiddle!”
And a third complained: “I had to try three times for it to work.”
In a video he shared on Twitter, Farage said: “Thank you to all of you that have been to the website [to vote]. As you know, I’m on that list to be the best television news presenter of the year – and just after the email went out, guess what happened, it crashed.
“Now, does it mean the whole thing is rigged? It’s fixed? It’s against us? Not necessarily. Maybe they just couldn’t cope with the volume.
“So, it’s not my fault. Be patient. Keep trying. “And I’ll tell you what, if we win… gosh, that would be fun.”
In his initial address to his loyal fanbase, Farage said: “You can imagine can’t you, big black tie dinner in London, back-slapping, self-congratulation. Channel 4 wins one year and the BBC or Sky wins the next.
“Well, don’t ask me how, but my name has made it to the list of runners and riders and it’s a public vote. Can you imagine the shock, the outrage, the anger if I was to beat the established industry?”
Voting for the event, which takes place at Grosvenor House in London’s Park Lane, closes at 5pm on Friday (May 12).
Excited TRIC Chairman, Dan Todaro said “As the TRIC Awards enters a staggering 54th year, it’s heart-warming to see so much love and support for an organisation that means so much to so many.
“Our not-for-profit status drives myself as Chair, the Board and our Committee to deliver a spectacular event which raises money for good causes. This year, TRIC’s chosen charities are Parkinsons UK and 45 Aid Society.”
Last year’s winners included newsreader and presenter Clive Myrie, Ant and Dec, and the late Paul O’Grady.