TORONTO — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother, a city councilor, are launching a YouTube series called “Ford Nation.”
Ford asks people to “please judge me on my record, not my personal life” in a preview posted Thursday.
Ford last year made international headlines when he admitted to having smoked crack cocaine while in a drunken stupor. He continues to draw attention for erratic behavior, but he has resisted pressure to step down and is seeking re-election.
A news release from the mayor’s office said the show will debut Feb. 10 and encourages “everyone to subscribe to their new channel and hear from them, directly and unfiltered.” It also says the show is being produced by volunteers. The release came from the mayor’s spokesman. The mayor’s spokesman said earlier Thursday that Ford was not feeling well Thursday and wouldn’t be at work after reporters questioned where he was.
Last November the tabloid Sun News Network cancelled a “Ford Nation” television show after only one episode after complaining it took five hours to shoot and over 10 hours to edit. A “Ford Nation” radio show was also canceled.
The promotion clip for the new “Ford Nation” show starts off with Rob asking his brother about his favorite food.
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“What do you eat? You’ve got a big belly on you. You must be eating something. What’s your favorite food?” Rob asks Doug.
The show’s announcement comes after the Ford brothers made controversial comments about the city’s prominent gay pride festival. The mayor of Canada’s largest city said he would never attend the city’s annual gay pride parade. “I’m not going to go to the pride parade. I’ve never been to a pride parade. So I’m not going to change the way I am,” Rob Ford said.
Ford made the remarks on Wednesday night during a candidates’ forum for the mayoral election set for Oct. 27. The mayor has been criticized for not attending the June parade. He has previously said he skipped the event because he faithfully attends a family cottage on the weekend of Canada’s birthday.
Doug Ford defended his brother, saying he isn’t homophobic.
Doug said he’s been to the Pride parade but won’t bring his kids again because he doesn’t “condone middle aged men running down the middle of the street buck naked.”
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