Nigel Farage accused of making antisemitic remarks at school

Claim: Nigel Farage was accused of making antisemitic remarks while a pupil at Dulwich College.
Verdict: ✅ True
Last updated: 6 December 2025

A Guardian investigation published in November 2025 revealed detailed testimony from filmmaker Peter Ettedgui, who attended Dulwich College alongside Nigel Farage. Ettedgui alleged that when they were around thirteen or fourteen years old, Farage directed antisemitic comments at him, including phrases such as “Hitler was right” and “Gas them.” He also recalled Farage making a hissing noise to imitate gas being released in concentration camp showers. These allegations were published in Ettedgui’s own words and attributed directly to him. Farage subsequently denied the behaviour described, but he does not dispute that the allegation was made.

Since the publication of the initial investigation, additional former pupils have come forward, giving further accounts of what they say they witnessed during Farage’s time at the school. Their accounts vary in detail, and they do not all describe the same specific incidents, but they collectively amount to a growing body of testimony alleging that Farage used antisemitic, racist or pro-Nazi language in his teenage years. The fact check here concerns the existence of these accusations. On that point, the evidence now available is stronger than when the first report was published.

Additional individuals now alleging similar behaviour

Following the release of Ettedgui’s account, several more former Dulwich College pupils contacted journalists to share their recollections. Their statements have been reported by the Guardian and other outlets examining Farage’s school years. These new accounts consist of both on-the-record and corroborated off-the-record statements.

Among the newly reported claims:

  • Two former pupils say they recall Farage making comments praising Hitler or Nazism. Their accounts were separate from Ettedgui’s and relate to different moments during their school years.
  • Another former pupil states that he heard Farage make remarks about Jewish people that he interpreted as antisemitic, though less extreme than the language described by Ettedgui.
  • A further classmate says he witnessed Farage using racial slurs and attention-seeking provocative language intended to shock his peers.
  • Other former pupils, speaking anonymously but vetted by journalists, have said they were unsurprised by the original allegations because the behaviour described was consistent with how they remember Farage presenting himself at the time.

These accounts do not align perfectly, and some describe less severe or differently framed behaviour. However, the consistency across multiple recollections—that Farage used inflammatory language touching on race, Nazism or antisemitism—means that multiple accusations now exist, rather than only one. This is the key point relevant to the claim being checked.

Historical context from contemporaneous school records

Public attention has also returned to a 1981 letter written by a Dulwich College teacher recommending that Farage not be appointed a school prefect. The teacher cited what he described as Farage’s “publicly expressed racist and neo-fascist views.” Although the letter does not confirm any specific allegation made by Ettedgui or other former pupils, it demonstrates that concerns about Farage’s views were raised contemporaneously while he was still at the school. This adds context to the question of how Farage was perceived by those around him during that period.

It is important to emphasise that this fact check is not assessing the truthfulness of every detail in these historic accounts. Memories from adolescence can differ significantly decades later, and the claims range in severity. What is not in dispute is that multiple individuals have now publicly accused Farage of making antisemitic or extremist remarks during his school years.

Farage’s response

Nigel Farage has categorically denied the allegations made about his conduct at Dulwich College. He has said previously that he may have made “silly” or “stupid” remarks as a teenager, but rejects the specific comments attributed to him. His denial concerns whether the behaviour occurred, not whether the allegations were made. That distinction is central to determining the accuracy of the claim.

Why the verdict is True

Under this site’s verdict system, a rating of True is applied when the claim itself is factually accurate and supported by clear evidence. The claim here is limited and specific: Nigel Farage was accused of making antisemitic remarks at school. The question is not whether he made such remarks, nor whether the allegations reflect what actually occurred. The question is whether the accusations exist.

As of 6 December 2025:

  • Ettedgui’s detailed testimony is publicly documented.
  • Several additional former pupils have since provided their own accounts.
  • These accounts have been independently reported and cross-checked by major news organisations.
  • Farage has publicly acknowledged and denied the allegations, confirming their existence.

The existence of the accusations is therefore fully verifiable. Whether the behaviour happened as described is a separate matter that cannot be independently confirmed. For the purposes of this fact check, the claim is accurate, clearly documented and supported by multiple witnesses.

Verdict: ✅ True

Sources

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