British far-right activist Tommy Robinson heaps praise on Pauline Hanson as he meets One Nation leader - weeks after his chat with Karl Stefanovic sparked uproar

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 01:59, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 02:28, 9 July 2026 British-far right activist Tommy Robinson has heaped praise on Pauline Hanson after meeting with the One Nation leader. Hanson sat down with Robinson for a podcast interview as she spends time in the United Kingdom. Robinson took to X on Thursday to share an announcement of the upcoming episode, describing Hanson as one of the 'bravest lady's [sic] on the planet'. 'Fearless, relentless, consistent, fighting for the Australian people and hopefully the next leader of her nation.' Their meeting comes just weeks after Robinson was interviewed by Karl Stefanovic, with the segment stirring a wave of backlash and ultimately leading to Stefanovic's departure from Nine. The episode was uploaded to YouTube but removed within hours following heated criticism. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, adopted the Tommy Robinson moniker years ago. The 43-year-old father of three has become one of Britain's most polarising activists, known for his anti-Islam and anti-immigration campaigning. Pauline Hanson (left) has sat down with Tommy Robinson (right) for a podcast interview  A former co-founder of the English Defence League, Robinson has built his profile by opposing multiculturalism and immigration, and has played a prominent role in various right-wing demonstrations, including the 'Unite the Kingdom' march in London. Hanson defended Stefanovic following backlash against his interview with Robinson,  publishing the interview on her own YouTube channel under the headline: 'CANCELLED: The Full Karl Stefanovic and Tommy Robinson Interview.' In a lengthy post accompanying the video, Hanson accused Nine of overreacting to the controversy and argued the broadcaster was wrong to punish the veteran presenter for conducting the interview. 'It looks like they're trying to sack my good friend Karl Stefanovic for this video with Tommy Robinson,' she wrote.  Defending Robinson's appearance on the podcast, Hanson said Australians should pay attention to his warnings about immigration and social cohesion in Britain. 'Tommy Robinson has a lesson for Australians. If we don't learn from the UK's mistakes on immigration and radical Islam, we are going to face the same destruction. 'This is exactly what Karl was trying to bring to Australia's attention.'