Nigel Farage has survived cancer, a plane crash and the I’m A Celebrity jungle. He defied the odds and establishment over Brexit and finally became an MP at the eighth time of trying. Not to mention taking his Reform UK to the brink of smashing the 100-year-old two-party political system.

But he’s now fighting the fight of his life over his financial dealings, which threaten to derail his journey to becoming prime minister. Farage says he has "done no wrongdoing" after it emerged he did not declare benefits provided by an ally once convicted of fraud in the US. The Sunday Times said George Cottrell's support included security and social media staff who worked on Farage's online content in the year before he was elected.

It also claims the Reform leader used a property rented by Cottrell near Buckingham Palace.

But it’s a very tricky situation for the man whose party has topped the polls for more than a year.

Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and "registrable benefits" received in the 12 months before their election.

The guidelines say purely personal gifts or benefits do not need to be registered.

Cottrell, 32, who admitted a count of wire fraud in the US in 2017, is a long-standing ally of Farage.

He was involved with Farage's former political party, Ukip, as a volunteer in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.

Farage told the Express on Monday that he "followed the rules" and claimed he is the victim of an "establishment hit job".

He is already facing a parliamentary probe over a £5million gift from a billionaire Reform UK donor, Christopher Harborne, which was not registered.

Farage has argued that he did not need to declare the gift because he received it before he was elected as Clacton MP and it was not political.

His team has made a similar argument for why the "in kind" – non-cash – benefits allegedly from Cottrell were not registered.

Both situations have Farage in a vice-like grip, the likes of which he’s not been in before.

His relatively mild response so far suggests that team Reform is still figuring out how best to handle it.

It has also led to some suggestions from rivals and enemies that he could quit as leader or be forced out as an MP, triggering a by-election.

The establishment vs Nigel Farage? That’s just how he likes it.