Katie Hopkins sparks fury with video claiming to flout Australia's Covid-19 quarantine rules
Katie Hopkins has triggered controversy with a video in which she claimed to be in Australia and revealed plans to flout the country's tight quarantine rules.
The 46-year-old media personality and former Apprentice contestant shared a video on Saturday in which she stated she was in hotel quarantine in Sydney, having recently arrived in the country.
She dubbed Covid-19 lockdowns to be "the greatest hoax in human history" and shared that she could not reveal how or why she was in Australia.
Read more: Katie Hopkins mocked after "advice" to Londoners
Several outlets in the country have reported that she may be due to make an appearance on their version of Celebrity Big Brother.
Hopkins went on to say she was breaching the restrictions when hotel staff brought her food.
She said: "I’ve been told when they bring three meals a day to the door... I have to wait 30 seconds before opening the door. And then I can open the door but only with a face mask.”
Hopkins said that, instead of waiting the 30 seconds, she would "lie in wait" in her bathroom and then “frighten the s*** out of them and do it naked with no face mask”.
Read more: MP criticises Hopkins over Meghan Markle tweet
The former Apprentice contestant's video caused outrage on social media, with many Australians pointing out they have been unable to see family during the pandemic due to strict rules.
Australian Greens senator for New South Wales, Mehreen Faruqi, said it was "soul-crushing" that Hopkins had been allowed into the country to "spew her vitriol".
Other political figures, including Australian Labour MPs Josh Burns and Andrew Giles, also spoke out.
I haven’t seen my mother or my daughter since 2019. It says a lot about our priorities that Hopkins can be permitted to come here and spew her vitriol during a pandemic. It’s as breathtaking as it is soul-crushing.
— Mehreen Faruqi (@MehreenFaruqi) July 17, 2021
Why on earth have you let Katie Hopkins into Australia @ScottMorrisonMP@karenandrewsmp?
This is a woman who called Islam disgusting, migrants “cockroaches” and called for a “final solution”. How does she get a visa, let alone a spot in quarantine over Australians?#auspol— Josh Burns (@joshburnsmp) July 17, 2021
My media release on the appalling decisions of the Morrison government to let right-wing troll Katie Hopkins into the country.
This should never have happened, and now her behaviour is putting people at risk.
Mr Morrison must take responsibility - and fix this now. pic.twitter.com/jp6Um2NviE— Andrew Giles MP (@andrewjgiles) July 17, 2021
In a lengthy statement, Giles criticised the Aussie prime minister Scott Morrison for giving Hopkins a visa and a space in a quarantine hotel.
"This is grossly disrespectful to frontline workers who are only trying to keep us safe," he said.
"Ms Hopkins should have never been allowed into the country, and now that Ms Hopkins is openly breaching quarantine restrictions Mr Morrison must take responsibility for his failure."
Read more: Hopkins detained in South Africa
University lecturer Belinda Barnet urged authorities in Australia to "throw the book at her" in the wake of her admission that she broke rules in the hotel.
Another Twitter user noted that Australian comedian Adam Hills, who is based in the UK and hosts Channel 4 show The Last Leg, had recently stated he wouldn't even be able to see his own children until Christmas.
Katie Hopkins published a video where she explains how she’s deliberately exposing our quarantine hotel workers to risk—by not wearing a mask and not waiting 30 seconds to open the door.
Throw the book at her Australia. She’s taken the video down now but it’s archived.— Belinda Barnet (@manjusrii) July 17, 2021
Thoughts are with @adamhillscomedy who recently said it’s unlikely he’ll get to see his own children until Christmas, but Katie Hopkins gets to travel there to be on TV and spread hate., https://t.co/fC5Vik0Wbf
— James Cromarty (@Dave8001) July 17, 2021
Katie Hopkins has become a controversial figure, considered by many to be a part of the British far-right.
She was banned by Twitter in June 2020 for "violations of our hateful conduct policy", but has remained active on other platforms including Instagram and YouTube.
Read more: Hopkins leaves LBC role after "final solution" tweet
After rising to fame on the 2007 series of The Apprentice and finishing as runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015, Hopkins has achieved notoriety with her controversial newspaper columns and social media posts.
In 2018, she lost a libel case involving food poverty activist Jack Monroe, whom she wrongly accused of supporting the defacing of a war memorial.
Hopkins was ordered to pay £24,000 in damages, as well as costs.
