Sleeping With The Far Right

24 July 2018

Extremist attitudes are on the rise throughout the Western world. In a bid to understand why, broadcaster Alice Levine is going to live with a prominent British nationalist and his family for a week.

Sleeping With The Far Right (1 x 60’ w/t) will see Alice spend seven days, at the home of Jack Sen and his family. 

Jack is a self-styled spin-doctor for the nationalist movement and manages global websites and Facebook groups to promote his own beliefs and those of prominent figures in the far right. Also a high profile figure, Jack was suspended from UKIP in 2015 for sending tweets considered anti-Semitic to Labour MP Luciana Berger. He later aligned with the BNP before setting up his own organisations the British Resistance Party and the British Renaissance Policy Institute.   

Living with the Sen family for a week will allow Alice to find out how Jack’s worldview shapes the family’s everyday life. She will also shadow Jack as he attends events and activities connected to his beliefs, and speak to a number of his associates who are prominent nationalist figures including former BNP leader Nick Griffin, American white supremacist and ex-Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke, former MEP and founder of the British Democratic Party Andrew Brons.

Through frank conversations with Jack, his family and various connections, Alice will attempt to dig deeper into what leads people to fanaticism and find out why Jack holds the beliefs he does.   At the end of the week, how will Alice feel about Jack? Through their time spent together and candid conversations has her understanding of Jack and the wider nationalist movement increased?  

Sleeping With The Far Right (1 x 60’) was commissioned by Gilly Greenslade, Commissioning Editor for Factual Entertainment. It is a Barcroft Productions film. The Executive Producers are Peter Wyles and Sam Barcroft and the producer and director is Marc Williamson. It will air later this year on Channel 4.

Gilly Greenslade, Commissioning Editor for Factual Entertainment at Channel 4 said, “Alice has the perfect blend of natural curiosity and a razor sharp sense of humour and we are delighted to have her on the channel. Her seven days living with Jack Sen and his family promises to be both insightful and bizarre as she attempts to understand the machinations of the modern day nationalist movement, what leads people to extreme viewpoints and how it  impacts their home life.”

Peter Wyles, Director of Programmes at Barcroft Productions added, “Alice’s relaxed and approachable demeanor, combined with her acerbic wit, promises to provide an eye-opening look at a controversial movement. She’s the perfect presenter for such a unique documentary.”

Alice Levine said, "I have always had an inquisitive personality, and love the challenge of a tricky interview. But this is like nothing I’ve attempted before. Although I was nervous about immersing myself in Jack’s world so completely, I was intrigued to find out what leads people to fanaticism. What I couldn't have imagined was the rabbit hole I would fall down when I moved in with Jack and his family."