Sir Rod Stewart has sparked outrage by speaking out in favour of controversial Reform leader Nigel Farage.
Ahead of his imminent legends slot at this weekend’s Glastonbury festival, the 80-year-old rocker has opened up about his support of the right-wing politician.
In an interview with The Times, the Maggie May singer spoke of his frustration with the state of current politics, suggesting voters should ‘give Farage a chance.’
‘I’ve read about [Sir Keir] Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn’t made him popular,’ he told the publication.
He continued: ‘We’re fed up with the Tories. We’ve got to give Farage a chance. He’s coming across well. What options have we got?
This has sparked outrage from fans, who have branded him ‘out of touch’ and motivated – as he admits himself – by his ‘great wealth.’
‘Rod Stewart [says] It’s hard for me because I’m extremely wealthy, and I deserve to be, so a lot of it doesn’t really touch me. But that doesn’t mean I’m out of touch. Yes it f**king does, Rod. Completely out of touch,’ wrote blondsteve on X.
‘Sir Rod Stewart is in need of retirement. The very last thing this country needs is @Nigel_Farage anywhere near power,’ said PJDawe.
‘You mean the ex Tory Rod Stewart wants to pay less tax? How surprising,’ said ChrisEmmin56954.
Elsewhere in the interview, Sir Rod admitted to knowing members of Farage’s family, saying: ‘I know some of his family, I know his brother, and I quite like him.’
This bombshell comes as Sir Rod is preparing to take the stage at Glastonbury today, where he’ll perform in the coveted tea-time legends slot.
It was previously feared that the octogenarian Forever Young singer would have to drop out of the festival, after falling ill in recent weeks.
The musician cancelled six gigs in the USA after coming down with a bout of the flu, leading to speculation that his Teatime slot would be next.
However, he seemed in high spirits as he attended a Beverly Hills dinner with children Kimberly and Sean a few days later, and now seems to be in tip-top condition ahead of his Glastonbury appointment.
This isn’t the first time Sir Rod’s political opinions have sparked ire – being on the receiving end of backlash after he congratulated Boris Johnson on his 2019 election win.
Taking to Twitter after his latest album reached number one in the UK, he tweeted: ‘Thank you once again to my legions of fans who I will never take for granted. Bless you all and a Merry Christmas.’
‘Well done Robbie [Williams], well done Boris [Johnson], no hard feelings Pete Townshend!’ Rod tweeted.
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