Former Conservative minister Robert Jenrick has sparked controversy after telling a female journalist she needed her "head checking" during a tense radio interview. The clash occurred as he faced pointed questions about his attitude towards women in politics.
A Heated Exchange on Times Radio
The incident unfolded during an interview with Times Radio's political correspondent Kate McCann on Sunday, 19th January 2026. McCann pressed Jenrick on whether he had deliberately mispronounced the name of his former party leader, Kemi Badenoch, during a defection speech the previous Thursday.
Jenrick, who had just crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK, grew visibly irritated. He dismissed the line of questioning as unimportant and attempted to change the subject to the "state of the country."
Questioning a Pattern of Behaviour
McCann coolly persisted, noting that during his press conference, Jenrick had repeatedly referred to Kemi Badenoch as "Kemi BAD-enoch," rather than the correct "BAY-de-noch." She highlighted that this was a known irritation for Badenoch and suggested his conduct appeared "quite blokey" and dismissive of female journalists and politicians.
"What's that got to do with anything? Sorry but that's a completely nonsensical argument," Jenrick retorted, before claiming he had also criticised male Tory figures like Mel Stride.
'You Need Your Head Checking'
As the interviewer continued to press for an explanation, a flustered Jenrick shot back: "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. If you, Kate, think that this is important, then you need your head checking."
He became increasingly defensive, stating: "And if you're trying to suggest that somehow I don't respect women as a husband, as a father of three daughters, I actually find that extremely offensive." Jenrick insisted the focus should remain on fixing the country's problems.
The interview concluded with Jenrick claiming he had "no memory" of mispronouncing Badenoch's name, a assertion McCann met with the pointed remark: "I think most women will know."
This public row followed Jenrick's dramatic defection on Thursday, 15th January 2026, after which he was immediately sacked from the shadow cabinet by Kemi Badenoch. Internal documents, reportedly discovered by Badenoch, revealed Jenrick's media plan for the defection, which bragged he would be Reform UK's "biggest defection story" and referred to him as the "new sheriff in town."
