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British social media icon Big John Fisher is spending the night before his birthday in an Australian deportation hotel after a visa mishap.
After a 17-hour flight to Perth and going through passport control, the ‘Boshfather’ was pulled aside by border patrol.
Speaking to Metro from his hotel room, John said: ‘The woman in immigration had several pages detailing things I’d been advertising that I was going to be doing while I’m in Perth.
‘I don’t hide what I’m doing when I’m there; never have.’
John had a series of meet-and-greets with fans set up, something he’s done in Australia before. This time, border patrol flagged his tourist visa and said he wasn’t able to work while abroad.
He added: ‘The lady then said, “Your visa doesn’t allow other people to profit from your work,” referencing the companies I was working for.
‘Well, no one told me!’
After offering to cancel all of his meet and greets and go on holiday, the woman left him in the room for four hours to deliberate before declining his stay, even without work events, he said.
Speaking to Metro from a deportation hotel with ‘four security guards’ outside his door, John said he was ‘manhandled’ out of the airport.
‘It wasn’t nice how I was treated. I love Australia and the Australians, but this has left a bad taste in my mouth,’ he added. ‘My birthday is tomorrow too.’
John does appear to be in good spirits still, however, telling Metro his signature catchphrase: ‘Bosh.’
Metro has contacted the Foreign Office for a statement.
The ‘Boshfather’ has previously travelled to Australia for fan events without issue. UK residents normally can’t work in Australia on a tourist visa, but short trips appear to have been tolerated in the past.
John, 51, was born in Whitechapel but has lived most of his life in Romford, east London.
John’s son Johnny, a boxer dubbed the ‘Romford Bull’, was ‘a lot’ bigger than his father on social media – but Big John’s platform took off thanks to his love for Chinese takeaway, and he’s never looked back.
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