Nigel Farage received high praise on the campaign trail today when reality star Joey Essex dubbed the Ukip leader a "really, really reem [cool] guy".

Essex, best known for his role in ITV's The Only Way is Essex (Towie), praised the Euroscepitc firebrand as the pair embarked on a boat trip from Grimsby Docks in North East Lincolnshire.

The 24-year-old celebrity plans to interview the Ukip leader as part of a documentary for ITV 2, Educating Joey Essex.

When asked by reporters what he knew about Farage, Essex said "he's a really, really reem guy". Farage admitted that he did not understand what the celebrity meant: "I think that's good, I'm not sure," he replied.

Essex also complemented Farage on his dress sense after he revealed that he "loved" Farage's jacket.

"I don't really understand much about the political life. I'm just trying to show the youth that it's a good thing to vote," the reality star added.

The encounter comes after Essex quizzed Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

But the 24-year-old seemed to be confused about the correct pronunciation of Clegg's party's name. "Why are they called Liberal Democats? It's a long word innit?" Essex asked.

There is now just 29 days before the general election on 7 May, with Labour two points ahead of the Tories (35% vs 33%) in the latest opinion poll from YouGov.

Elsewhere, Ukip are currently on 14%, down from the 17% the party garnered in mid-January, and the Liberal Democrats are on 8%.

More about the 2015 General Election
Election 2015 UKIP Nigel Farage