Paul Merton has described an interaction with former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe as being “the lowest point of my professional life”.
In a Q&A with The Telegraph, the comedian and longtime Have I Got News for You panelist recalled an episode of the BBC series in which Widdecombe featured as guest host.
At the time, Widdecombe was a Tory MP; the notoriously eccentric politician later served as a member of European Parliament for the Brexit Party, and is currently Reform UK’s Immigration and Justice spokesperson.
Asked about his worst moment on Have I Got News for You, Merton, 68, responded: “Ann Widdecombe hosting, who obviously is the queen of comedy. At one point she turned to me and said, ‘Come on, be funny. That’s what you’re being paid for.’ I thought, ‘I’m aware of my professional responsibilities, you goblin.’
“That was the lowest point of my professional life, being directed by Ann Widdecombe,” he added.
Widdecombe hosted Have I Got News For You on two occasions, in 2006 and 2007. She is one of several politicians to have enjoyed a contentious time on Have I Got News For You down the years.
These include a pre-leadership Boris Johnson and Reform figurehead Nigel Farage, both of whom had note-worthy clashes with Merton and fellow team captain Ian Hislop while appearing on the show.
Outside of Have I Got News for You, Merton also opened up on the other “worst” moments of his life, explaining that there were two instances that had haunted him.
“In 1987 I broke my leg in Edinburgh. I was at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. That then led to me getting hepatitis A and a pulmonary embolism. That was pretty bad,” he said.
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“But the worst time of my life was in 1990. I’d just been on a TV program on Channel Four, which had done quite well. I was up in Edinburgh. I did the opening night of my one-man show. That went well. The next day, I went out and played football, broke my leg, was taken into hospital, came back out of hospital, went back into hospital and nearly died.
According to Merton, he was “in my hospital bed every morning, and punters were standing around waiting to get a laugh out of me as I was shown my X-rays”.
Have I Got News for You continues at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday.
