06 February 2024 , 14:44
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Former Neighbours star Holly Valance turned up to the launch of Liz Truss's Popular Conservatism group - and many people are understandably asking why.
The Aussie actress was spotted on the front row of the right-wing Tory event, alongside rabble-rousing MPs such as Lee Anderson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and the failed former PM herself. But what on earth was she doing there?
Has Holly been a secret Tory all along? Or is there some other reason she might have attended the launch? Here’s everything you could possibly ever want to know about Holly Valance’s links to Liz Truss and the Popular Conservatism movement.
Nick Candy and wife Holly Valance arrives for the Launch of the Popular Conservatism Event in London (Justin Ng / Avalon)Who is Holly Valance again?
Holly Rachel Candy, known professionally as Holly Valance, is an Australian actress and singer. She joined the cast of Antipodean soap Neighbours in 1999, aged 16 - playing Felicity “Flick” Scully.
She was the soap’s breakout star until 2002, when she left to forge a music career. Her first single was “Kiss Kiss”, an English Language cover version of Turkish singer Tarkan's song “Şımarık”. It entered the UK chart at Number 1 and made the top 10 in 17 countries, cementing her as a proper pop sensation.
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After the hits dried up a bit, she returned to acting, appearing in CSI: Miami and Entourage, before landing a regular role as Nina Volek in Prison Break in 2006. In 2011 she also took part in Strictly Come Dancing, reaching the semi-final.
She took a break from acting to focus on her family in 2013, and had done only charity work ever since - until she made a cameo appearance in the “last ever” episode of Neighbours in 2022, reprising the role of Flick.
Holly Valance played the Felicity 'Flick' Scully in Neighbours from 1999 until 2002 (BBC)What is Popular Conservatism, and how is Liz Truss involved?
Popular Conservatism is a new right wing group within the Conservative Party. It’s been branded a “party within a party” by critics.
Fronted by Liz Truss, alongside allied Tory MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lee Anderson, the group says it will seek to “restore democratic accountability to Britain and deliver popular conservative policies.”
hit out at Rishi Sunak's Government for failing to take on "left-wing extremists" she said had gained control of UK institutions, as she argued the new Popular Conservatism movement must galvanise Britain's many "secret" Conservatives.
The former Prime Minister warned there was a "damaging divide" between politicians and ordinary people who "think the wokery that's going on is nonsense".
But this weekend Labour ’s Jon Ashworth wrote in the Mirror that Rishi Sunak should learn from Labour and stamp out the “party within a party”.
Why on Earth was Holly Valance at the Popular Conservatism launch event?
Holly Valance is married to Nick Candy - a London property developer. They married in 2012, in a £3 million ceremony in Beverly Hills.
Mr Candy is a billionaire and prominent Conservative party supporter and donor. He backed Tory Shaun Bailey’s unsuccessful campaign to be Mayor of London in 2021 - and was pictured at the notorious lockdown rule-breaking Christmas Party held in Conservative HQ that December.
In 2022 Nigel Farage shared a picture of him and Ms Valance having dinner with the former UKIP leader and Donald Trump.
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