Celebrity chef Pete Evans announces he will run for the Senate as a Great Australia Party candidate

Pete Evans has confirmed he will stand as a candidate for a fringe party run by a former One Nation senator.

Pete Evans has announced he will run for the Senate with former One Nation senator Rod Culleton’s The Great Australian Party.

Controversial celebrity chef and known anti-vaxxer Evans was announced as a candidate for the upcoming federal election in a statement from the party about 1am on Friday.

“Pete Evans has maintained his principles and inspired others in the face of uncommon adversity,” a statement from Mr Culleton said.

“Pete is fully supportive of the GAP ethos, supporting restoration of the Commonwealth and the preservation of democracy in Australia.

“Throughout his engagement with GAP’s national selection committee, Pete presented an unwavering commitment to advancing the freedoms of all Australians. As a result, he has been resoundingly approved.

Pete Evans has lost numerous sponsorship deals in the past few months due to increasing public backlash over his views. Picture: Facebook

“Pete Evans has consistently demonstrated courage in exposing matters of public information and interest, provoking much needed debate despite personal cost to himself.

“I believe Pete Evans will effectively and diligently represent GAP’s growing membership base and all NSW constituents. Pete possesses the essential attributes required to challenge the status quo and restore the rule of law as defined in our constitution.

“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Pete and welcome him on board as GAP’s first Federal candidate for the NSW senate.”

Friday’s confirmation comes about a month after Evans first teased the news on Instagram and two months after he was abandoned by a large number of his sponsors including his publisher for posting a neo-Nazi symbol on Instagram.

Evans was dropped by Pan Macmillan, which published 17 of his books, before Channel 10 booted him off I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!

Woolworths, Big W, Dymocks, Coles, Kmart, Target and the homeware brands Baccarat and House also distanced themselves from him.

Mr Culleton, a Western Australia-based politician, initially sat as a One Nation senator and then independent following the 2016 election.

But he was booted from this position later that same year after the Federal Court found he was bankrupt.

In 2017, the High Court also ruled that Mr Culleton was ineligible to run as a senator due to a larceny charge in NSW.

The small party lists policies related to tax reform, the elimination of local councils and the abolition of the Reserve Bank.

In August, Mr Evans revealed an allegiance to former US President Donald Trump.

Mr Evans donned a red “Make America Great Again” cap synonymous with Trump fans as he declared his support for the hotel billionaire online.

“Yeah I’m going to say it, go Trump,” Evans said in the lead-up to the US election in which Mr Trump was beaten by Democrat Joe Biden.

Former celebrity chef Pete Evans now runs a podcast where he speaks to people about medicinal marijuana., vaccines, politics and bitcoin. Picture: Instagram

Evans has previously been blasted for holding anti-vaxxer views which he aired on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show in May last year.

“I have met so many mothers and their children that they have put their hand on their heart to me and said ‘Hey Pete, my boy or little girl was a healthy, functioning, beautiful child – and they’re still a beautiful child, but something happened’,” he said.

“When they got a shot one day, and within two hours, 12 hours or 24 to 48 hours, that little boy or girl completely changed their behaviour, completely changed their nature.”