UK influencer met senior officials on state-sponsored tours of Iran, factchecking body finds | UK news
A British television personality undertook two state-sponsored tours of Iran this spring, where he met with senior officials and was “active” in spreading the regime’s message, according to an investigation by an Iranian fact-checking organization.
Surrey’s Bushra Shaikh sported a luxurious outfit brand and finished ninth in the 13th series of The Apprentice in 2017. described she was “inspired by Coco Chanel”.
Shaikh posts to hundreds of thousands of followers on X and Instagram about her appearances on TalkTV and Good Morning Britain, photos of her outfits and her views on right-wing figures. Laura Loomer and Rupert Lowe.
An investigation by Factnameh found that Shaikh played “an extremely active role in reproducing the government’s narrative” this spring after participating in two press tours organized By IRIB World Service, the international arm of Iran’s state broadcaster.
Factnameh identified more than a dozen participants at these events toursincluding a handful of US journalists.
Fereidoon Bashar, chief executive of ASL19, which created Factnameh, said cultivating friendly journalists and public figures has been part of Iran’s strategy for some time. “Iran has a long tradition of having prominent Western figures aligned with anti-imperialist and anti-colonial frameworks,” he said.
But he said there had been a “major change in Iran’s communication approach” since the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June 2025.
Bashar said: “My sense is that, just like the rest of the world, most of the mainstream media are realizing that they are losing their audience and that it is much easier for these individual influencers to participate and invite. The content they publish is more likely to align with state narratives and less likely to be fact-checked.”
It’s unclear whether Shaikh and the others covered their own expenses or were paid for the trip. Bashar stated that the Iranian government valued the Sheikh’s satisfaction in inviting him back for a second trip in April, following his first tour in February.
He said: “The level of access he had with senior officials the second time was much higher than the first time. They seemed to appreciate his coverage the first time.”
Sheikh’s posts about Iran appeared to be timed to coincide with critical events in Iran, including the intensification of fighting, ceasefire talks and nationwide protests in January. Factnameh said some of this amounted to “publishing unedited propaganda of the Islamic Republic.”
He toured an Armenian monastery and Tehran’s Tehran during the Sheikh’s documented visits to hundreds of thousands of followers in X bazaar. in one mail, She modeled a black and gold scarf that she said was a gift from Iran’s culture minister.
He also met with senior officials Governor of Isfahan and a foreign ministry spokesman visited sensitive locations, including the Strait of Hormuz, and posed for photos. boat With the headline “The Strait of Hormuz is open for us, closed for the Epstein empire”, which appears to refer to the US.
Factnameh found that Shaikh’s posts showed “a highly calculated pattern of social media manipulation.” Last year, 20% of its 4,047 posts were about Iran, leading to millions of interactions and “disproportionately high engagement.”
Earlier this year, Shaikh’s tours drew criticism from Iranian digital rights activists; They claimed that his trips were at the invitation of the regime, realizing that he had internet access that ordinary people did not have. Iranian activists, some affiliated with the Women, Life, Freedom movement, circulating online petition He argues that Shaikh should be investigated for sanctions violations.
Meanwhile Sheikh shrugged Regarding the internet shutdown in Iran, he writes: “It seems that those outside Iran are more disturbed by Iranians’ limited internet access to the outside world than are Iranians inside Iran. Many see this not as a crackdown on the government but as temporary security for citizens.”
Shaikh is part of a growing group number “War influencers” or “war streamers” are content creators who offer their followers unmediated, sometimes citizen journalist-style, access to a war zone.
Many of his posts were intended to offer an on-the-ground look at the impact of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. in one of those explains residential buildings were destroyed; In another, he says he was investigating a missile attack on a girl’s school in Minab.
There were also Israel and Russia reported Using influencers to spread their narratives, especially in the face of more hostile coverage from traditional media.
The Sheikh has been approached for comment.
