Racist comment Bob from Handcuffed made that caused Nigel Farage to declare: 'I want nothing to do with him'
Bob is paired with Chris in tonight's episode
Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing viewers were introduced to one of the show’s most controversial contestants in tonight’s episode (March 10), but who is Bob and what is the racist comment that caused Nigel Farage to cast him out of Reform UK?
The programme, hosted by Jonathan Ross, sees nine mismatched pairs literally chained together as they travel across the UK. Contestants must live, travel and complete challenges while handcuffed 24/7. The last pair remaining will take home £100,000.
Things quickly took an awkward turn when viewers met Bob, a 70-year-old retired solicitor, who is paired with Chris, a 38-year-old youth worker.
Who is Bob from Handcuffed and what was the racist comment he made?
In tonight’s episode, Chris introduces Bob to members of his family, including his grandmother. However, the meeting becomes tense when she reveals she recognises Bob from previous headlines.
Bob’s full name is actually Robert Lomas. He sparked outrage during the 2024 general election campaign after allegedly making racist remarks.
According to reports at the time, Lomas – who was the Reform UK candidate for Barnsley North – had been accused of saying: “Black people in Britain should get off [their] lazy [bleep]s and stop acting like savages.”
The controversy led to him being dropped by Reform UK just days before voters went to the polls.
Following the backlash, party leader Nigel Farage publicly distanced himself from Lomas.
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Farage said: “I want nothing to do with them,” speaking about Bob and two others.
Despite being removed from the party’s roster, Lomas’ name remained on the ballot paper because it was too late to change the official documentation. He ultimately stood as an independent candidate.
There are no public reports that Lomas has ever apologised for the comments.
What does he say in the show?
Chris confronts Bob about his comments in tonight’s episode after Googling him. Bob explained that he witnessed a riot in London and was “appalled” by what he saw. “Everything’s racist if you want it to be,” Bob told Chris when he questioned the terminology Bob had used.
“He needed to know what I said as it was going to come out in the end,” said Bob. “Okay, I could’ve used better words, but it gets to the point where we can’t say anything.”
Bob and Chris on Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing
In promotional interviews, Bob said he signed up for the unusual experiment because he was intrigued by the challenge. He explained that taking part sounded “interesting” and like “a type of experiment” he had never considered before.
He also admitted that everyday activities became surprisingly difficult while physically attached to another person. However, Bob said he was surprised by how well he and Chris were able to cooperate during tasks.
For Chris, the appeal of the show was the chance to spend time with someone completely outside his normal social circle.
“I’m naturally curious about how people think and live,” he said. “And I wanted to experience life from the other side.”
The series is built around exactly that idea – placing people with wildly different backgrounds, views and lifestyles together in the hope they might challenge each other’s perspectives.
As Jonathan Ross explains, the aim is to force contestants to “talk, listen and perhaps learn from each other”.
Read more: Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing viewers have already picked their series 1 winners
