Who is the man behind Count Binface? BBC career, Lord Buckethead dispute and Farage face-off
There's a chance the people of Clacton could very soon wake up and find themselves represented by a peculiar character named Count Binface, but who is he?
Earlier this week, Nigel Farage announced that he was resigning as an MP amid an ongoing investigation into him receiving a £5 million donation, which he did not declare to parliamentary authorities after his election in 2024.
It was later reported by The Sunday Times that he'd received funding and security from long-term ally George Cottrell, which was not declared to parliament.
Farage has denied any accusation of wrongdoing and said the by-election would allow the people of Clacton to decide his future.
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So far, Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Restore have all confirmed they will not be contesting the by-election, meaning that Farage's main opposition is Count Binface.
Who is Count Binface?
Count Binface describes himself as an 'intergalactic space warrior' and leader of the Recyclons, who came to Earth from his home planet Sigma IX in 2017 to contest Theresa May under the alias of 'Lord Buckethead'.
He later rebranded to Count Binface after a dispute over copyright and now regularly stands in key seats during elections, contesting Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, various London Mayoral elections and, most recently, Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election earlier this year.
But unlike previous elections, ol' Binface could be the only opposition to Farage, unless Laurence Fox makes good on his promise to stand, meaning the vote will be his best chance of making it into Parliament.
With bookies' odds sitting at a 7/2 chance of the Count becoming Clacton's next MP, people have naturally begun to wonder who the man behind the bin is.
A Google search for his Binly Lordship reveals he is actually Jon Harvey, a comedian and screenwriter who has some pretty notable credits to his name.
Who is Jon Harvey, the man behind the Count Binface persona?
Born in London, Harvey attended the University of Oxford before working as a scriptwriter for shows such as The Thick of It, Have I Got News for You, and Time Trumpet.
He's also written a book, 2023's A Fan for All Seasons, and has performed stand-up. So not just any old bloke with a dustbin on his head.
Harvey is also married to actor and voiceover artist Sarah Daykin, with the couple sharing two children, although I'd imagine he doesn't rock up to Parents' Evening in his Count Binface garb.
What does Count Binface want?
So now you have an idea of who Count Binface is, the next question to ask is: what are his policies?
While he is yet to produce a manifesto for Clacton, a recent list of promises for the Makerfield by-election included making sure 99 Flake ice-creams cost no more than 99p, abolishing auto-renew subscriptions and representing the UK at Eurovision in 2027.
Binface has already begun sharing his thoughts on the by-election, telling The Guardian that if he does get elected, he will do his best to represent the people of Clacton.
When asked about whether or not he'd 'bin off the bin' during an appearance on Newsnight, the Count responded: "Has anyone here seen Return of the Jedi? Nobody wants to know what's underneath the recyclon. It's disgusting."
What has the reaction to Count Binface been?
With the Clacton election being the most likely chance of Binface winning a seat in Parliament, the Count has been receiving a lot of attention.
"Can you imagine the look on all the politicians faces when he rocks up in Parliament," read one person's response to a recent interview of his, while another noted that his 99 ice-cream policy would fit perfectly with Clacton's seaside heritage.
"This is shaping up to be the greatest moment in the history of UK politics," added a third.
The Count is also making waves inside the House of Commons, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch calling him the 'people’s candidate' while Chancellor Rachel Reeves wrote on X: "If he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him."
Brenna Cooper