Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie has told MPs how the data analytics firm interfered in the 2016 Premier League title race, won by Leicester City.

Giving evidence to a select committee, Wylie lifted the lid on a culture of data manipulation that has served to undermine the whole notion of fair sporting competition.

He said: “The first thing we did was set up a racist orgy involving Nigel Pearson’s son. Everything else sort of followed on from there.

“I’ve never been entirely sure how or why that worked, but it did. We tried all sorts of things – it really was a case of trial and error.

“Apart from that, hacking into the Opta database and bumping all the players’ stats up to 100 in every category was probably also key.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that Jamie Vardy would be an Ibiza rep by now if we hadn’t done that.”