Harvey Weinstein effigy to be burned at Kent bonfire celebration

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

An effigy of Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein will be burned at an annual bonfire celebration.

The Edenbridge Bonfire Society revealed the identity of its celebrity Guy on Wednesday, ahead of the event in Kent on Saturday.

The 11m effigy is set to go up in flames alongside a traditional figurine of Guy Fawkes.

Weinstein was picked by the society to be this year's public figurine at the event after he became embroiled in a string of allegations of sexual assaults against female employees and movie stars.

Bonfire society organisers said Weinstein was the "obvious" option this year after the accusations came to light.

The giant figure is depicted holding a Hollywood star, a clapperboard emblazoned with the words "final cut" and standing on the base of an Oscar award inscribed with "H Weinstein".

A bonfire society spokeswoman added: "As with last year there were many strong contenders for this year's celebrity Guy, particularly in the political and cultural world.

"While the burning of the Guys is aimed as a light-hearted way to mark the traditional bonfire celebrations in the UK, there is of course nothing funny about (the allegations)."

Rumours of other names in the frame for this year included North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Last year, Donald Trump was the "overwhelming choice".

A steel-framed model of the then Republican US presidential candidate was made just days before he went head-to-head with Democrat Hillary Clinton and won the election.

More than 10,000 people attend the annual event, which has been running for more than 20 years.

In 2015 a model of scandal-hit former Fifa president Sepp Blatter was burned at the event.

Other well-known figures who had the dubious honour of being the celebrity Guy include Cherie Blair, Katie Price, Gordon Brown and Russell Brand.

The identity of the effigy is picked a week before the event and is usually decided based on who is the most prominent figure in the news at the time.

Constructing the frame and decorating it with emulsion paint takes between four and five days.

One of four artists behind this year's Weinstein design - which also features the face of a blonde woman peering out from behind him - was Andrea Deans, 39, from Edenbridge.

She said the woman was a reference to the allegations made against Weinstein, adding: "She is completely fictional.”

Weinstein has denied all claims of non-consensual sex.

PA