Video mocks influencers stuck in Dubai as flight ban comes into effect

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Reality television star and singer Jake Quickenden has mocked influencers stuck in Dubai after a UK travel ban with the United Arab Emirates was announced.

The former X Factor and I’m a Celebrity… contestant has made several comedic videos following the furore around social media influencers taking off for exotic climes during the coronavirus pandemic.

In his latest post, shared on Instagram, Quickenden took on the characters of two influencers who’d found out all flights out of the UAE had been cancelled.

He captioned the video: “Everyone in Dubai right about now! Disclaimer I’m just taking the piss... kind of!”

“The airports, they’re closing!” he cries in the video. “Get me my bloody case!

“That was a nightmare. I just packed that quick it was like I was working in Lidl on the checkouts.”

Later in the post, he mirrors fitness influencer Sheridan Mordew, who was roundly criticised after she defended her trip to Dubai by saying it was to “motivate” people during an interview on This Morning.  

“This is so unfair that they’re sending us home,” Quickenden says while donning a blonde wig and sunglasses. “I literally came out here to motivate people and I’ve lost 494 followers, and now I might have to stay at a Holiday Inn at the airport. It’s vile!”

Influencers, many of whom are reality stars from the likes of Love Island, Towie and Geordie Shore, have come under attack for jetting off to Dubai while most Brits have no choice but to stay at home.

Even the home secretary, Priti Patel, took aim at the social media stars, saying in an address to the House of Commons: “We see plenty of influencers on social media showing off about which parts of the world that they are in, mainly in sunny parts of the world.  

“Going on holiday is not an exemption and it’s important that people stay at home.”

However, even those who are still out in the UAE have remained largely silent after the announcement from transport secretary Grant Shapps that the country had been put on the UK’s red list and that all flights would be banned after 1pm on 29 January.

Ex-Love Islander Georgia Harrison, who is still out in Dubai and has even changed her Instagram bio to say she lives there, has not commented on the travel ban, while Towie cast members James Lock and Yazmin Oukhellou have also declined to comment on the news as they continue their stay in the emirate.

Anton Danyluk, another former Love Islander, appears to still be in Dubai but has reportedly deleted many of his previous posts after backlash from his followers.

Since the announcement of the travel ban, the UAE has confirmed it will extend tourist visas for British visitors stranded in the country.

In a statement, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said that the country would extend the visitor visas of Brits stranded, although it is not known how long they will be extended by.