Julien Blanc 'denied visa to enter UK': Controversial 'pick-up artist' barred after petition signed by thousands

Over 150,000 have signed petition to keep his tour out of Britain

Julien Blanc in one of his #ChokingGirlsAroundtheWorld videos (Youtube)

Controversial “pick-up” artist Julien Blanc has been denied a visa to enter the UK after a sustained campaign to prevent him from touring in Britain, it has been reported.

Blanc, who calls himself “the international leader in dating advice”, was forced to swiftly exit Australia after his visa was withdrawn amid claims his dating seminars teach abusive techniques.

An online petition calling on the Home Secretary Theresa May to deny the US citizen a visa to enter Britain gained more than 150,000 signatures.

The BBC reports that Blanc has now been barred from entering the UK by the Home Office.

His advice on how to attract women has been heavily criticised after videos emerged of Blanc apparently telling an audience at one of his seminars: “At least in Tokyo, if you're a white male, you can do what you want. I'm just romping through the streets, just grabbing girls' heads, just like, head, pfft on the d**k. Head, on the d**k, yelling, 'pikachu.’” He was then seen demonstrating this with a female member of the public.

His ‘Pimp my Game’ website promises to “make girls beg to sleep with you after short-circuiting their emotional and logical mind”.

Blanc also promoted his seminars using the hashtag #ChokingGirlsAroundtheWorld.

He was scheduled to arrive in the UK for tour dates in February 2015, where he would advise men on how to “game” women in seminars.

Minister of State at the Home Office Lynne Featherstone, who previously called on the Home Secretary to ban Blanc, told Sky News she was “very pleased Mr Blanc will not be coming to our shores."

Ms Featherstone had expressed concern “cases of sexual harassment and intimidation would increase” should Blanc be allowed to perform in the UK.

A spokesperson for the Home Office told The Independent it would not comment on individual exclusion cases.