ITV has released footage in which Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin, speaking privately to an undercover reporter, criticised the culture around women in her own party. She said there was a bit of a male issue going on and that the party needed more female press officers. The full film, Undercover: A Year in Reform, airs on Sunday 18 October at 10.20 pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Reform said her concerns were taken seriously.
- ITV’s undercover footage shows Reform MP Sarah Pochin privately saying her party has a “male issue” and that women get excluded.
- She made the remarks at Reform’s Christmas gathering, when she was the party’s only female MP, and the full documentary airs Sunday 18 October on ITV1 and ITVX.
- Reform said her concerns were taken seriously, and she has not publicly commented.
- Reform has objected to ITV’s “deception,” but the remarks come from an elected MP inside the party.
- The footage feeds a wider question about whether Reform’s vetting and internal culture have kept pace with its growth.
What Was Filmed?
An ITV reporter got a job in Reform’s Westminster press office and secretly recorded conversations with staff. Pochin is the Runcorn and Helsby MP, and she was Reform’s only female MP at the time of filming.
The recording was made at the party’s Christmas gathering. LBC reported that she called the party’s press officers chauvinistic, and said women get excluded. She also described the pressure of being a woman amid what she called alpha-male behaviour. The Independent reported the line that officials “just exclude you if you are a woman.”
One detail stands out. She told the reporter that on TV appearances she presents the party as welcoming. The gap between that public line and her private comments is a large part of why the clip has travelled so widely.
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How Did Reform Respond?
The party’s reply to Pochin’s remarks was brief. A spokesperson said she had raised concerns about her experience and that those concerns were taken seriously. Pochin did not respond to ITV News’ requests for comment. I found no public statement from her since the clips were released.
On the investigation as a whole, Reform said it was extremely concerned that ITV and Hardcash Productions had used extreme methods of deception. That objection has substance as a point of debate. A private remark made to someone who is secretly a journalist is not the same as a public statement, and readers should keep that distinction in mind.
Why Does It Matter Beyond One Comment?
Pochin is not an outside critic. She is an elected MP describing her own party’s culture, and she did so before the documentary was made public. That makes it harder for the party to dismiss as hostile commentary.
It also sits inside a larger story about whether Reform has grown faster than its internal systems. The party now has more than 2,300 local councillors. ITV’s investigation asks how much its vetting has improved since Nigel Farage promised in 2024 to professionalise the party.
Reform’s answer on vetting has two parts. A spokesperson said the party has improved its vetting but that a handful of people who do not share its values will sometimes get through. It added that nobody can vet a future comment. Critics respond that the issue is not what people might say later, but what the party does once it knows. In the same footage, a Reform communications official is shown discussing a candidate’s remarks that he said would see the candidate go, yet the candidate stayed on. That candidate was later removed over a separate comment.
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What Have Opponents Said?
Reaction so far has targeted the party broadly, not Pochin personally. Labour’s chair, Bridget Phillipson, said Farage cannot dismiss the revelations as a few bad apples. The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, called the footage chilling, and the Conservatives said it shows Farage has failed to make Reform ready for government. I did not find named political reaction aimed specifically at her gender remarks.
What To Watch Next
Three things will shape the story. First, the full documentary on Sunday, which may include more of her recorded comments. Second, whether Pochin addresses the footage herself. Third, whether Reform changes how it handles internal complaints or candidate vetting. Readers should wait for the full broadcast before drawing firm conclusions, since clips selected for release are not the whole record.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did Sarah Pochin say in the ITV footage?
She told an undercover reporter that her party has a male issue and needs more female press officers, and that women get excluded.
Who is Sarah Pochin?
She is the Reform UK MP for Runcorn and Helsby, and she became the party’s first female MP when she was elected on 1 May 2025.
How did Reform UK respond?
A spokesperson said Pochin raised concerns and that they were taken seriously.
When can I watch the full documentary?
It airs on Sunday 18 October 2026 at 10.20pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Has Pochin commented since the footage came out?
I found no public comment from her. ITV reported that she did not respond to its requests.
Sources & References
- ITV News, “Reform officials admit they ‘defend the indefensible’ after allegations against party figures”
- LBC, “Reform MP accuses officials of being ‘chauvinistic’ and Farage ‘protects racist’ candidate in bombshell undercover footage”
- The Independent (via Yahoo News), “‘Take the f***ing deal’: Farage secretly filmed letting off Reform candidate accused of racist slur against David Lammy”
- ATV Today, “ITV reveal more details on investigation of Reform UK’s racism and extremism concerns”
- Wikipedia, “Sarah Pochin,” for her background and election date
