Martin Lewis Jewish: Expert recalls childhood ‘Jewy Lewy’ nickname

Martin Lewis was called “Jewy Lewy” at school, a nickname shortened to “Jew”, and said that it didn’t bother him at the time because “this was the 1980s”.

Speaking to the BBC’s Nick Robinson for the Political Thinking podcast, the Money Saving Expert discussed his upbringing, his values, and the antisemitism that he has experienced both online and in person.

He also spoke about how his bid for a cross-bench peerage was rejected because he was “honest” about the limited time he would be able to commit to the role.

Lewis explained how he has received antisemitic comments due to being Jewish and a consumer money-saving expert, a combination that often elicited references to the antisemitic trope that Jewish people are good with money.

Lewis said that there were two Jewish students in his year group at school, and that he was nicknamed “Jewy Lewy”, or something similar, that was shortened to simply “Jew”.

He told Robinson: “I didn’t see it as pejorative. I didn’t see it as antisemitic. I don’t think there was – I look back at it and think it was, but I don’t think it was deliberately or prescriptively. That was just how people did things in those days.”

“This was the 1980s, it was just something I accepted” @MartinSLewis talks about his experience of being called “Jew” at his school growing up.

pic.twitter.com/ZH9ihXZsvL
— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) June 23, 2022

Lewis grew up in the village of Norley, near Delamere Forest in rural Cheshire, and attended The King's School, an independent secondary school in Chester. His father was the headmaster of Delamere Forest School, a Jewish school for students with special educational needs, and his mother tragically passed away in a car accident when he was young.

Lewis did recall one incident at school that particularly bothered him: “The only bit I remember I didn’t like was there was one boy who would occasionally throw sweets in the air, call Jewy, and look to see if I would run to grab the sweets, which of course I never did.

“But barring that, at school, I didn’t feel that. I mean, I think what it was, is certainly unacceptable with my 50-year-old eyes now, and if my child went through that, I would be going in to complain to the school and it would be outrageous.

“But this was the 1980s, and we were not the same on race and religion and diversity that we are now," he added.

please take your antisemitic claptrap out of my time line.
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) May 17, 2016

Robinson then asked about the connection between being Jewish and being the Money Saving Expert, and Lewis replied: “You’re the first person, Nick, who has been brave enough to say that to me in the last 20 years.”

The veteran interviewer was surprised by that, and Lewis said: “Look, my Jewish friends all do because they know.”

Robinson noted: “That might be because I have Jewish blood,” to which Lewis replied: “Okay, but to actually be overt in a public forum and say, ‘you’re the Money Saving Expert and you’re Jewish’.

“As I always say, I’m the Money Saving Expert and I’m Jewish, I’m not the Money Saving Expert because I’m Jewish.”

@Politicsatbest I presume you're jewish rather than making a antisemitic crack about all MoneySavers being jewish
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) April 14, 2015

Lewis then shared his experience of antisemitism as an adult: “I have had over my career, and I remember a well-known broadcaster making a couple of really inappropriate gags, which I then never did that programme again afterwards.

“I didn’t call them out. This is, again, this is early on in my career. I don’t think anyone would be stupid enough to try it now, but I get on social media sometimes, ‘ah, no wonder you’re so good with money, you’re Jewish’. And I call back and say, ‘You do realise that’s antisemitism.’

He continued: “Am I the stereotype of the old-fashioned stereotype? Because, should I not, you know, what I do is about how to take on companies, how to empower the consumer. It’s a very difficult one, and it’s actually brave of you to bring it up. I think we just need to separate that. I am not the Money Saving Expert because of my religion.”

He then added in reassurance to Robinson: “I’m not suggesting that you thought it for a moment”.

In the same interview, Lewis also discussed why he thought his bid for a cross-bench peerage was rejected by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Martin Lewis got turned down for a peerage "a couple of weeks ago"

The Money Saving Expert tells @BBCNickRobinson he thinks he was rejected by the House of Lords as he didn't have enough time to give to the role

Listen to more on #BBCPoliticalThinking https://t.co/5De2URcMSU pic.twitter.com/8oq4b0HzCp
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) June 23, 2022

He told Robinson: "I did this really silly thing and I was honest in the interview."

He said that he is "very busy" with his job, and so could only offer a limited number of hours, but added: "most importantly, I have a nine-year-old daughter and until she is 13, my most important job from 6.30pm until 8pm at night is to be with her and put her to bed.

“I would see my role as being learning for three to five years, with limited input and then gradually over the next five to 10 years, committing more time to the House of Lords.”

However, Lewis thought this may have been a "stumbling block", although added that the commission had invited him to reapply in the future.

The full episode of Political Thinking is available wherever you get your podcasts.