Celebrity Populism and How it Shapes Contemporary Politics

What do celebrities and populists have in common? From Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky to Silvio Berlusconi, Javier Milei, Fidias Panayiotou, and Miroslav Škoro, this book argues that celebrity populism is not a political anomaly but a defining feature of contemporary democracy. It offers the first integrated framework for understanding how celebrity culture, entertainment and populist politics have merged to reshape political communication worldwide. Through the key strategies of authenticity, humor, fictionalization, and disruption, it explains how celebrity populists mobilize audiences and voters, strategically build political fandoms and transform the practice of democratic politics.