Holly Valance ‘writes substantial cheque’ for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK to boost its election war chest

• Tickets for the Trump fundraiser were said to cost up to $10,000 

Rightwing former singer and actress Holly Valance has reportedly written Nigel Farage a ‘substantial cheque’ to bolster Reform UK’s election campaign funds.

The ex-Neighbours star, 41, who is now married to billionaire property developer Nick Candy, is said to be among those who have helped bolster the party’s funds by £1.5million since Mr Farage returned as leader.

It came as they were both pictured schmoozing at a London fundraiser she hosted for Donald Trump‘s re-election campaign. 

They were joined at the Chelsea event by Donald Trump Jnr. Organised by Trump’s ambassador to Spain, Duke Buchan, some 100 guests were expected to attend the event raising money for the presidential campaign, with reception tickets costing as much as £8,000 ($10,000).

Ms Valance was pictured embracing Mr Trump Jnr, whose father is awaiting sentencing for 34 counts of falsifying business records connected to hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Asked why she was hosting the gathering she told reporters: ‘If America is doing well we are all doing well.’

Ms Valance, who has British citizenship, last week decided against running to become a Reform MP. 

Guests were given just an hour’s notice of the location before doors opened this evening.

Among them was boxing professional Derek Chisora, pictured sporting a red Make America Great Again cap and gold chain.

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Matthew Elliot, former chief executive of Vote Leave, was also in attendance at the Chelsea fundraiser, according to The Times.

As Mr Trump Jnr left the event a woman was heard shouting ‘vote Biden!’ from a nearby rooftop.    

Biden’s campaign held a rival fundraiser in London on the same day, hosted by Anna Wintour, the British-born editor of US Vogue. Tickets were said to cost $1,000 each.

Wintour, who also endorsed Biden during his 2020 campaign, hosted another fundraiser for the US president during Paris Fashion Week in March. 

The fundraiser, which has already clocked up $2million (£1.57million) in donations, is being billed as a reception and dinner with the former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, and his fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a lawyer and former Fox News host. 

Mr Farage arrived smiling for the cameras following speculation he could attend in spite of his election campaign at home.

Asked if attending would interfere from his own campaign, Reform party spokesperson told the Evening Standard: ‘What Nigel gets up to is his call. It would be absurd to suggest he’s not concentrating on the campaign.

‘We’ve got over 600 candidates running in this election – I’m utterly uninterested in what Nigel wants to do on one night.’ 

As many as 100 guests were expected to attend, including a number of American Republicans – some of whom were part of Trump’s White House between 2017 and 2021. 

Invites to the fundraiser list a variety of categories which guests can make donations under, such as ‘host committee’ ($100,000 a couple) and dinner ($50,000). Just to attend costs $10,000, while a photo opportunity is $25,000.

Greg Swenson, chairman of Republican Overseas, confirmed to the BBC that tickets cost anywhere between $10,000 to $100,000.

He told the BBC it was a ‘big ticket’ event but insisted that the Republicans were the ‘party of the people’. He explained that rival Democratic events had been more expensive, for example of of Biden’s events in New York in March cost half a million dollars each to attend.

Speaking before the fundraiser, he told the BBC he would be ‘surprised’ if Trump Sr did not make a virtual appearance.

The location was near the Chelsea Embankment and at the door, a man in a suit and umbrella welcomed guests.

The property’s website described the venue as a ‘hub for entertainment and relaxation, including wine cellar, swimming pool, spa and an IMAX cinema. 

Trump Jr is looking to target wealthy Americans in London for campaign donations as they try to close a big funding gap opened by Biden in the race for the White House.

It comes after his father became the first former president in US history to be criminally tried and convicted last month when he was found to have falsified money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

‘After the bogus conviction of my father, we have seen an explosion in financial support from American citizens across the globe, who are rejecting Joe Biden’s attempt to use the courts to interfere in the presidential election. 

‘I’m excited to see my friends in London who are all ready to Make America Great Again this November,’ Trump Jnr said in a statement.

Neighbours star Valance, who last week claimed she convinced Farage to stand to be an MP in July’s general election, qualifies to make donations to Trump as a US green card holder.

The 41-year-old and her billionaire property tycoon husband Nick Candy have been publicly associated with Trump and Farage since at least April 2022, when the now-Reform leader shared a photo of the group following a dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

The former actress and pop star said she talked Farage around after he initially decided against running – before he announced that he would stand in Clacton, Essex.

Valance said she had been ‘whispering in [Farage’s] ear for a long time, saying, ‘Come on, pull your finger out, give the people what they want’.’

There were also rumours Valance herself was going to run as a candidate for Reform and before that, as a Tory candidate in the London mayoral elections.

Other hosts at tonight’s Trump fundraiser include New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, who was Trump’s ambassador to the UK, George Glass, his ambassador to Portugal, and Duke Buchan, his ambassador to Spain.

Richard Grenell – former acting director of US national intelligence who serves as US ambassador to Germany – is also due to attend – as is Scott Bessent, who has been touted as a possible treasury secretary.