Arron Banks, who bankrolled Ukip and the Leave.EU campaign, told an audience on BBC’s Any Questions that he and Mr Farage had “had a few drinks” the night before the party’s conference in Bournemouth.
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Nevertheless, it remains a potent force in British politics.
Fellow guest Angela Eagle, Labour’s former shadow business secretary, responded with shock at the “terrible image”.
On his new regular LBC show, Mr Farage told listeners he “kept my underpants on”.
It’s not the first time Farage has taken part in naked swimming.
After dinner on Thursday the pair then stripped down and swam in the English Channel by moonlight, he said. “I think there should be a law against it”.
“I admire him from the point of view that he’s standing up for his country”, said James, who was her party’s justice and home affairs spokeswoman.
But the relatively unknown figure won the vote to succeed Nigel Farage comfortably, having been deputy chairman of UKIP in the past and the party’s spokeswoman for justice and home affairs.
Ms James had been urged to find a way to reunite the party after months of spats and infighting among its most high-profile members.
Diane James will succeed Nigel Farage as the leader of the party.
But within an hour of her leadership victory she took the decision to wipe Neil Hamilton from Saturday’s agenda for the party’s annual conference, which is being held in Bournemouth.
Mr Hamilton, who only found out about the so-called purge after being told by reporters, said it was a “rather weird way” to unite a party.
Ms James refused to take part in hustings with other candidates, drawing criticism from UKIP members.
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Mr Farage said it had seemed an “amazingly good idea” to go for the midnight splash but insisted it “wasn’t skinny-dipping”.
