‘Big John’ Fisher’s Australian takeaway: get the right visa next time | Australia news
British social media star “Big John” Fisher has cut short his tour and shows in Australia after saying he was detained by immigration officers for arriving on the wrong visa.
Fisher, who is famous for his love of Chinese takeaways and fast food reviews and has nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram, said he was detained by Australian Border Force officers for four hours after arriving in Perth on Tuesday.
Fisher was due to make four appearances in Australia this week, including at Ascot Racecourse in Perth and Wentworth Park greyhound track in Sydney. Fisher is understood to have been traveling on a tourist visa when visiting Australia for professional reasons. All visitors to Australia must meet the requirements of the Immigration Act and regulations.
Fisherman He told Metro newspaper He made no secret of the fact that he was in Australia for business. “ [border force officer said]’Your visa does not allow others to profit from your work,’ he said, referring to the companies I work for. ‘Nobody told me,’ he said.
In a video Fisher said Tuesday evening that he was at a “hotel” with more than 300,000 views and would fly home on Wednesday, his birthday. “They’re not happy with what I’m doing here, so they’re sending me home,” he said.
“So, sorry Australia, sorry Perth, sorry Sydney, I won’t be at any of my games this weekend.”
He signed with his usual “bosh” before adding “or bosh.”
He said via social media late on Wednesday morning that being detained was “one of the worst experiences of my life” and that he was “treated like a criminal by Perth border control” and had his wallet and belongings confiscated.
In a comment on Instagram, he said he told Australian Border Force (ABF) he would cancel his “meet and greets” and “have a 100 per cent pure holiday” but he still had to return.
He said he was now looking forward to returning to his family and “good old England”.
Fisher’s son Johnny, the heavyweight boxer known as the Romford Bull, confirmed his father had been sent home. In a post on Instagram he wrote: “There are rumors [the Aussies] They are afraid of him bowling fast ahead of the Ashes.”
An ABF spokesman said the agency could not comment on individual cases due to confidentiality obligations.
