Nick Candy, husband of actress Holly Valance, has been appointed Reform UK’s treasurer, renouncing his Conservative Party membership due to “too many broken promises”.
Valance, known for her role in Neighbours, has also been vocal about her political views. She previously expressed support for the former Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg as a potential prime minister and dismissed “leftie” ideas as “c**p”.
Valance’s comments in February came at former prime minister Liz Truss's Popular Conservatism — or "PopCon" — movement.
"I would say that everyone starts as a leftie and then wakes up at some point after you start either making money, working, trying to run a business, trying to buy a home, and then realise what crap ideas they all are, and then you go to the right,” she said.
Valance, 41, told GB News that Ms Truss was "really, really interesting to listen to”, and then she said: "Jacob for PM”.
So who are Valance and Candy?
Who is Holly Valance?
Valance is an Australian singer, actor, and model who rose to fame at 16 when she was cast as Felicity "Flick" Scully in the hit Australian TV series Neighbours. Over three years, she appeared in hundreds of episodes, becoming a household name.
In 2002, Valance left the show to pursue a music career, releasing singles such as Kiss Kiss and Down Boy. The former was a major success, reaching number one in the UK charts.
She later transitioned to Hollywood, landing roles in the Liam Neeson film Taken and the TV series Prison Break. Valance also starred as the lead in the action film Dead or Alive (2006), an adaptation of the popular video game series.
In 2011, she competed in Strictly Come Dancing, impressing audiences and making it to the semi-finals.
Who is Nick Candy?
Candy is a British billionaire and luxury property tycoon, best known for his success in high-end real estate development. Born on January 23, 1973, in the Surrey town of Banstead to Patricia and Anthony Candy, he was educated at Epsom College before studying human geography at the University of Reading.
Candy rose to prominence alongside his brother, Christian, and their redevelopment of luxury properties. Their most notable project is the £150 million One Hyde Park in London, one of the world’s most exclusive apartment complexes. According to the Irish Sun, the brothers share an estimated net worth of £1.5 billion, with Candy’s wealth around £880m.
In September 2012, Candy married Valance in Beverly Hills. The couple have two children, and Valance has stepped away from show business to focus on raising their family.
Candy’s defection to Reform follows other Tories such as former deputy chairman Lee Anderson and Dame Andrea Jenkyns.
“I have today resigned my membership of the Conservative Party after many years of active support and substantial donations to the party,” Mr Candy said on Monday.
“I am sorry to say there have been too many broken promises and a complete breach of trust with the wealth creators in our country.
“Nigel Farage [the Reform leader] is a close personal friend of mine, and Reform UK represents the future of British politics.
“I am pleased to announce that I will now become the treasurer for Reform UK and intend to raise enough funds for them to win the next general election. I will take up the role in the new year.”
Mr Farage said: “I warmly welcome this decision. We are the fastest-growing movement in British politics today and Nick’s efforts will help Reform UK transform our country.”
