How Pauline Hanson courts UK’s far-right – and builds a global brand – with ‘pseudo events’ and publicity stunts

Pauline Hanson meet-and-greets in the UK have so far included pop star turned radical-right royalty, Holly Valance, Reform UK officials and far-right activist and convicted criminal, Tommy Robinson. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Pauline Hanson meet-and-greets in the UK have so far included pop star turned radical-right royalty, Holly Valance, Reform UK officials and far-right activist and convicted criminal, Tommy Robinson. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images How Pauline Hanson courts UK’s far-right – and builds a global brand – with ‘pseudo events’ and publicity stunts The One Nation leader is set to be interviewed by Tommy Robinson as part of a media strategy that seems designed to seek scandal – and reach millions Pauline Hanson’s highly publicised meetings with controversial far-right figures in the UK will drive international eyeballs to her content and continue building the global brand – and that’s by design, far-right experts say. The One Nation leader is visiting on a “fact-finding mission” with her chief-of-staff, James Ashby, ticking off a number of the country’s most divisive personalities. It comes as the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, warned disaffected voters who “feel like lighting a match” that supporting One Nation “isn’t worth the eternity of pain that will follow”. “They’re a one-person show. Their policies are incoherent,” he told ABC radio on Friday. Hanson’s meet-and-greets have so far included pop star turned radical-right royalty, Holly Valance, Reform UK officials and far-right activist and convicted criminal, Tommy Robinson . The Queensland senator will also feature in an upcoming long-form podcast with Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Yaxley-Lennon is perhaps best known in Australia as the man whose appearance on Karl Stefanovic’s podcast in June led to Channel Nine severing ties with their former golden boy. Yaxley-Lennon is an anti-Islamic, far-right political activist, known for his role in major UK anti-immigration marches and is a vocal supporter of Russia, including its invasion of Ukraine. Beyond his political views, Yaxley-Lennon’s rap sheet is long. The 43-year-old was given a five-year stalking protection order and has twice been convicted for contempt of court. He was jailed in 2024 for repeating false claims about a 15-year-old Syrian refugee in defiance of a court injunction. Hanson’s decision to join him on his podcast was no doubt linked to his recent appearance on Stefanovic’s podcast. While the video was removed from various platforms, and Stefanovic lost his lucrative position as the Today show’s host, One Nation re-published the interview on its social media channels. Far-right researchers told Guardian Australia the move has all the hallmarks of an effective and proven digital strategy – one that works whether or not the mainstream media take notice. Dr Imogen Richards, a criminology researcher at Deakin University, said announcing or appea