Ofcom investigating Sky News over Farage harassment claims
Regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into Sky News over claims of harassment made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Last month, Farage accused the broadcaster of infringing his family's privacy by sending reporters to a house where his adult daughter was living.
Reform UK made an official complaint to Ofcom, and called on Sky News to apologise on air and undertake not to seek to contact Farage's family at their homes.
In a post on Facebook on Friday, the Clacton MP said Ofcom was now investigating and that he was "appalled at the way various members of my family have been treated".
The broadcaster denied approaching Farage's daughter when he initially made the allegation.
Ofcom would not comment on any investigation but said it treated complaints in strict confidence and would not "publicly confirm the identities of individuals concerned".
Farage claims reporters from Sky News approached his daughter's home while he was out of the country.
Sky News says it did not interact with his daughter, and was trying to ask Farage about a £5m gift he received from cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne before he entered Parliament in July 2024.
A parliamentary standards investigation into whether the gift broke any rules resumed earlier this month after Farage was re-elected as MP for Clacton following a by-election he triggered that was boycotted by the other major parties.
Upon returning to the country, Farage was questioned by Sky News over the undeclared gift, to which he responded: "You tell your bosses, you harass my family any more, there will be serious consequences, that's what your organisation has done this morning, now go away."
When pressed on the donation again, he said: "Did you not hear me? You have broken all the rules, Leveson and everything else, cut."
At the time, Sky News said in a post on X: "Sky News was not at the property at 7.41am. As has already been acknowledged, and as shown in the footage from 10.19am, Sky News was outside a property where Mr Farage was registered to vote at the last election.
"Sky News did not interact with Mr Farage's daughter.
"On a single occasion, we approached the property without a camera operator, identified ourselves as Sky News and the adult occupant chose not to engage. We were seeking to contact Mr Farage to ask questions about the gift he accepted from Mr Cottrell.
"This is a well-established and routine journalistic practice when reporting on matters of legitimate public interest.
"The footage clearly demonstrates that Sky News did not 'hound' or pursue Mr Farage's daughter.
"At no stage did we seek to speak to anyone other than Mr Farage in connection with this story."
The BBC has contacted Sky News for comment.
Ofcom says it aims to conclude fairness and privacy complaints within 90 working days.