Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been exposed for reinforcing his assertion that he could increase women's breast size through hypnosis, despite later claiming he was misrepresented. A recently uncovered radio interview from June 2013 reveals that Mr Polanski stood by his controversial statements nearly a week after a newspaper article detailed his beliefs.
Radio Interview Contradicts Recent Apologies
In the BBC Radio Humberside interview on 18 June 2013, Mr Polanski discussed what he called a "successful project" with a journalist from The Sun newspaper. The original article, published on 12 June 2013, had advertised his 90-minute hypnotherapy sessions for £220 under the headline "Can you really THINK your boobs bigger?"
Mr Polanski told the radio host: "Actually there was an article in The Sun last week where a client came to see me who was a journalist and we had a successful project. We've done it a couple of times and there seems to be no shift. But, actually, increasingly more and more as I work with people there's starting to become anecdotal evidence, at least, of a growth in breast size."
Specific Claims About Breast Growth
The Green Party leader went on to suggest the journalist's breasts had grown significantly within just one week. "She says that she grew four inches," Mr Polanski stated. "It didn't change her cup size, she stayed the same cup size but she said it was a tighter fit."
When directly questioned about whether he believed women's breasts could actually be enlarged through hypnosis, Mr Polanski responded: "I believe that it can happen in theory. And I think it's definitely worth investing the time, evidence and research into hypnosis generally."
Contrast With Recent Statements
These radio comments directly contradict Mr Polanski's more recent characterizations of the 2013 newspaper article. In September 2023, shortly after his election as Green Party leader, he told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "I was misrepresented, I apologised a day later. Does anyone believe that? Actually lots of men got in touch with me asking if it could help with other body parts. I've never done it for men, I've never done it for women, that's not something I believe in."
Later that same month, on the Pod Save the UK podcast, Mr Polanski claimed: "I went out on BBC radio the next day, so not 12 years later when I became a politician, but literally the next day to go 'this article doesn't represent me'." The newly discovered interview shows he actually appeared on radio nearly a week later and supported the article's claims.
Broader Context of the Claims
During the 2013 radio interview, Mr Polanski emphasized that he was not charging clients for breast enhancement "at the moment." He positioned hypnotherapy as a safer alternative to cosmetic surgery, stating: "When you think about cosmetic surgery, kind of the dangerous effects et cetera - both mentally as well, at least with hypnotherapy we're also combining it with a package of looking at people's confidence and their self-esteem."
He expressed hope that hypnotherapy could help people with body confidence issues more broadly, suggesting: "My hope would be that, actually, just with one session people wouldn't even want to enhance their breasts - they'd actually be looking to become more comfortable from the inside out."
Political Reactions to the Revelation
A Labour source responded sharply to the uncovered interview, stating: "Zack Polanski's ego might have got bigger, but nothing else has. It's now clear that his pretence to have been misrepresented over his breast enlargement hypnosis scam was absolute nonsense - he got called out years later, and he lied about it. You can't trust a word he says - he'll say whatever he thinks you want to hear."
A Green Party source defended Mr Polanski, saying: "Zack has repeatedly apologised for an interview he did with The Sun more than a decade ago. Now, Zack is focused on the issues that really matter to people: bringing down bills, protecting the NHS and rebuilding our public services."
The controversy highlights the challenges political figures face when past statements and professional activities come under renewed scrutiny. Mr Polanski's case demonstrates how claims made in one context can resurface years later with significant political implications, particularly when they appear to contradict more recent explanations and apologies.
