Who Is Controversial Media Star Katie Hopkins?
British media personality and outspoken commentator Katie Hopkins is known for her many controversial views. She gained prominence through her various appearances on reality TV shows, such as the U.K. rendition of "The Apprentice" in 2007. In addition, Hopkins has been a columnist for several newspapers and online publications, including the Daily Mail, where she has expressed disconcerting opinions on politics and social issues. During her stint with The Sun, Hopkins infamously referred to immigrants as "cockroaches" in a now-deleted column.
As a result of her controversial opinions, the commentator often rubs people the wrong way. For instance, Hopkins found herself in a feud with Kelly Osbourne. She has also frequently expressed support for Former President Donald Trump, openly admiring his policies, specifically on topics such as immigration and so-called political correctness.
Trump returned the love on X, formerly known as Twitter, retweeting one of Hopkins' 2019 posts, which praised him and other far-right political leaders. Despite her many problematic views and remarks, the TV star has amassed a massive following on Instagram. However, another popular social media app previously banned Hopkins over her troublesome antics.
Hopkins was banned from Twitter for a series of hateful tweets
Katie Hopkins was permanently suspended from Twitter in June 2020 as a result of multiple violations of the platform's rules against hateful conduct. At the time, over one million users followed her account. In 2015, Hopkins sent out several tweets insinuating that Labour politician Simon Danczuk was a pedophile because he shared an image of a Pakistani flag. Danczuk responded by reporting Hopkins to the police for inciting racial hatred.
Then, in 2017, Hopkins lost her job at LBC radio after going on an anti-Muslim Twitter rant, which called for a "final solution" following the devastating Manchester bombing, orchestrated by Salman Abedi, a British citizen of Libyan descent whose suicide attack claimed the lives of 22 people and wounded 250. What made the "final solution" tweet so damning was its origins as a term used by Nazi Germany's leaders to refer to the orchestrated mass slaughter of European Jews.
Also in 2017, Hopkins criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, suggesting that African Americans committed most crimes against themselves. The social and political initiative originated in the United States in 2013 after the murder of unarmed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin at the hands of white neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, which is why her comments sparked so much outrage.
Hopkins was booted from Big Brother VIP for revealing her quarantine activities
In July 2021, Katie Hopkins traveled to Sydney, Australia where she was scheduled to star in Australia's "Big Brother VIP." Hopkins and her cast mates were placed into individualized hotel rooms to quarantine for two weeks due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, instead of remaining in her room as instructed, the controversial star appeared in an Instagram Live session during which she admitted to opening her door without wearing a mask and purposely taunting the security guards waiting outside.
The government-mandated quarantine was non-negotiable for anybody entering the country. Following Hopkins' refusal to comply with it, she was kicked off "Big Brother VIP" and subjected to a border enforcement investigation. In the end, the "Apprentice" alum was ordered out of the country and given a $1,000 fine. Instead of apologizing for her actions, Hopkins doubled down, slamming Australia for its stern pandemic precautions. In an August 2021 YouTube video, she even called the country "a very dark place" (via the Daily Mail).
Despite the backlash, Hopkins continued to spread her often harmful rhetoric through Instagram skits and stand-up comedy shows. She still pokes fun at the COVID-19 vaccine and even plant-based diets. Clearly, Hopkins won't be swayed from her views and contentious persona. Thanks to Elon Musk, she was reinstated on X in November 2023, where she can continue to spread her many troublesome thoughts. At the time of writing, Hopkins boasts over 900,000 followers.