Rip Off Britain programme at 10.45 this morning featured James Kenny, who the Monmouthshire Beacon reported on as a fraud who claimed to offer the town a festival they would never forget. The programme which aired on BBC One told the story of Nicky, a mum on the Wirral who was targeted by the same man and is now fighting in court, on her own, to keep her home.

James Kenny’s name became synonymous with one of the most extraordinary festival scandals to hit Monmouth in recent years. His project, Monmouth Rising, was presented as a spectacular new music festival that would put Monmouth on the national map. Instead, it collapsed before a single headline act took to the stage, leaving unanswered questions, unpaid suppliers and a community wondering how such an ambitious scheme was allowed to get so far.

The festival was promoted as a three-day, 45,000-capacity event at Monmouthshire Showground. Kenny told Monmouth Town Council that he intended to create an entire festival village, with five stages, free camping and buses, and significant opportunities for local traders. It was even promoted as potentially the world's first hydrogen-powered, emission-free music festival.

The festival was eventually cancelled in March 2025. Kenny said the existing plans were no longer viable and promised that ticket holders and vendors would be refunded. While ticket purchasers were refunded through the ticketing company, reporting subsequently found that some traders and suppliers were still owed money.

Nicky has set up a GoFundMe to help her get through the case. https://gofund.me/1567a43a9

And if you think you've been a victim of James Kenny too, report it to Action Fraud and Gwent Police, and contact the Rip Off Britain team through the programme's website.