Kemi Badenoch has kicked off her bid to be the next Tory leader with a video taking aim at none other than former Doctor Who actor, David Tennant.

The former trade and business secretary now sits in the shadow cabinet, but is looking to be elected as Rishi Sunak’s replacement.

After facing backlash for going on holiday over the summer when some of her other rivals were launching their own leadership campaign, it seems Badenoch is back with a bang – and parking herself firmly at the centre of the culture wars.

On Sunday, she released a short video announcing the details of her campaign launch on social media which curiously began with a clip of Tennant at the LGBTQ Awards from June.

When he accepted the prize for being the “best ally”, Tennant said: “Until we wake up and Kemi Badenoch doesn’t exist anymore – I don’t wish her ill I just wish she would shut up.”

Badenoch, who also served as the women and equalities minister, has often been criticised for her stance on trans rights.

In the general election campaign, she said her party would amend the Equality Act so any references to sex would mean biological sex – a policy which sparked outrage from activist figures like Tennant.

But Badenoch chose to include the actor’s fury in her campaign clip, followed by her own rebuttal.

More than two months after Tennant’s comments, she said: “No, I will not shut up.

“When you have that kind of cultural establishment trying to keep Conservatives down, you need someone like me, who is not afraid of Doctor Who or whoever, and who is going to take the fight to them and not let them try and keep us down.

“That’s not going to happen with me.”

She then concludes the clip by changing direction slightly, saying: “And also it’s not Bad-enoch, it’s Badenoch, there is no bad in my name.

“I just want people to be clear on that!”

The clip certainly made an impression, racking up more than two million views in less than 24 hours.

But the online feedback suggests people were… less than impressed – many people decided it was “embarrassing” or “weird” to attack a famous actor.

In response to the Badenoch footage, a rival camp said: “Kemi’s spot-on. We need to keep attacking Dr Who, not cap migration, and take a five year holiday.

“No wonder her campaign has written off the next general election.”