YouTuber Josh Pieters flew Hopkins to Prague to accept the "Campaign to Unify the Nation Trophy". Photo / Twitter
YouTuber Josh Pieters flew Hopkins to Prague to accept the "Campaign to Unify the Nation Trophy". Photo / Twitter
Controversial British commentator Katie Hopkins has become the butt of an elaborate joke after her Twitter account was suspended today for violating the platform's anti-hate policy.
South African YouTuber and notorious prankster Josh Pieters, whose channel has amassed more than one million subscribers, flew Hopkins to Prague to accept the"Campaign to Unify the Nation Trophy".
"Now that Katie Hopkins can't read Twitter, I can tell you that on Monday I made her fly to Prague to pick up a completely fake award," Pieters tweeted.
The tweet, liked by more than 100,000 people, was accompanied by an image of Hopkins holding a trophy and beaming in front of the award's blown-up capital letters, which spelled a certain swear word starting with C.
A group shot of Hopkins in Prague with Pieters and the group of actors he hired to be part of the Cape Town Collective for the Freedom of Speech. Photo / YouTube
Hopkins, repeatedly dubbed 'the world's most hated woman', has been accused of inciting "racial hatred" on Twitter, news.com.au reports.
The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant has more than one million followers on the platform – with US President Donald Trump re-tweeting her on several occasions – and is known for her outspoken views.
In a compilation at the beginning of Pieters' video of Hopkins' most controversial moments, she makes statements such as "I don't believe you can be fat and happy" and "Islam is taking over my country".
"Despite her charming views, one million Twitter followers and friendship with Donald Trump, Katie hasn't won many awards," Pieters said in a voice-over.
"So we thought it would be nice to give her one for being Britain's biggest *bleep*."
Pieters then emailed Hopkins under the guise of belonging to made-up organisation, the Cape Town Collective for the Freedom of Speech.
He told her she had been awarded the "equivalent of our Lifetime Achievement Award for the simply excellent work you have achieved over the past few years. You may be many miles away, but the joy of the modern world is that we're able to follow closely as you fight for the freedom to say what you believe to be true."
Hopkins responded, saying she was "delighted" and "overwhelmed" to accept the award in Prague.
"Without being able to say what we think, without being able to mock people, without being able to attack people, we are not free," Pieters said when introducing Hopkins – who nodded in agreement – at the "ceremony", before presenting her with the award.
"I am not used to receiving awards, it is strange, and it's strange to hear nice things being said about yourself," Hopkins said in her acceptance speech.
