Nigel Farage has demanded X act “incredibly quickly” to remove a series of AI-generated adverts that falsely show him fighting the governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey — as the bank warned the public to stay vigilant against a growing wave of digital deception.
The fake ads, which have repeatedly appeared to users on X in recent days, depict the Reform UK leader and Bailey in violent confrontations on a set resembling BBC Question Time. Some show Farage kicking, grabbing and lunging at Bailey, with bruises visible on their faces; others even depict Farage holding a gun. Many carry a fake "play" button suggesting they are videos, but clicking instead redirects users to sites promoting AI cryptocurrency trading schemes or apps.
“Nigel Farage demands X remove fake AI ads showing him fighting Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey.”
“You may have seen some bizarre AI videos on this platform today,” Farage wrote on X on Monday evening. “Whilst Andrew Bailey and I have had our disagreements, I would never take it that far!”
Speaking to broadcasters in Grangemouth on Tuesday, Farage said he did not know “whether to laugh or whether to be angry” about the deepfakes. “The trouble is it’s an AI fake but it looks real in every way, and people know that the governor and I have had our disagreements over things over the years,” he said. He confirmed Reform UK contacted X on Monday “to the highest level” and said he hoped the platform would take action.
The Bank of England has also urged users to report the ads. “Unfortunately, fake adverts impersonating the Bank of England and other central banks are on the rise,” Governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement. “These scams are designed to criminally exploit the public, especially the vulnerable, when they are online. I would urge everyone to stay vigilant and report these scams. That way authorities can better root out digital deception like this and permanently remove the fraudsters responsible for what is a truly online scourge.”
Many of the adverts viewed by the BBC were posted by accounts with blue ticks — a symbol indicating a subscription to X's Premium tier. Platform owner Elon Musk previously touted changes to the verification badge as “the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over” after buying Twitter.
The bank’s guidance states that neither it nor its staff endorse or advertise any products. The UK’s Online Safety Act contains provisions requiring tech platforms to tackle fraudulent advertising, but those duties do not come into force until next year. X has been approached for comment; its rules explicitly bar impersonation intended to deceive.