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(27-10-2023, 04:09 PM)Keith Wrote: Looks like the chequebook has been reached for again at GB News, with the announcement of Boris Johnson to host a programme on the channel. Certainly a big signing for the news channel, presumably with the hope of drawing in a greater audience.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Wonder if potentially Farage & Boris will do an occasional double-act programme.
What could possibly go wrong?
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For their sake I hope it works out better than his gig at the Daily Mail - a big signing that ended up a bit of a damp squib
Mind you his previous journalistic jobs haven't exactly ended well either. Not that GB News worries about that sort of thing
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(27-10-2023, 04:09 PM)Keith Wrote: Looks like the chequebook has been reached for again at GB News, with the announcement of Boris Johnson to host a programme on the channel. Certainly a big signing for the news channel, presumably with the hope of drawing in a greater audience.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Wonder if potentially Farage & Boris will do an occasional double-act programme.
Has that ever happened before anywhere in the world? A former prime minister or president becoming a TV host?
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(27-10-2023, 11:17 PM)JAS84 Wrote: Has that ever happened before anywhere in the world? A former prime minister or president becoming a TV host?
There was a late night chat show in the early 80s called Friday Night, Saturday Morning which had guests hosts every two weeks. It's most famous for the appearance of John Cleese and Michael Palin defending the film Life of Brian against a bishop.
In 1979 Harold Wilson presented it for two episodes, 3 years after resigning as PM. Until Johnson I think he's the only British PM to present a TV programme.
youtu.be
As you can see Wilson wasn't very good at it, in fact clips of the above were included in Channel 4's TV Hell night. It's thought that's partly due to Alzeimers, which he was showing signs of from the mid 70s and is believed to be part of the reason he resigned
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We can't edit posts on this subject so just to correct my last one.... TV Hell was on BBC2, not Channel 4
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(27-10-2023, 05:11 PM)Stooky Bill Wrote: For their sake I hope it works out better than his gig at the Daily Mail - a big signing that ended up a bit of a damp squib
Mind you his previous journalistic jobs haven't exactly ended well either. Not that GB News worries about that sort of thing
Indeed. The biggest challenge they’ll face with this is he’ll need an excellent team of producers and editors around him. Boris is all bluster and hot air. As we’ve seen with a number of hosts recently on GBNews, a show on the channel is very risky. If you’re someone like Farage, who (like him or not) has lots of charisma, it’s a platform where you can flourish. The danger with Boris is he’s more likely to fall into the Martin Daubney camp.
It should pull a sizeable audience in but I’d imagine it’ll go the way of his previous columns. A bit sad really. Many people voted for him and he’s had a very interesting career. This feels like his ‘retirement home’ moment.
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Well I think we can disregard the recent reports of the owner trying to clean up the channel then. Clearly a political channel masquerading as a news channel that pretends it isn't a news channel - the fact they say they're hiring him to be part of their election coverage says it all though.
The thing though it's a question of when, not if, he gets fired - and he'll get fired for the reason he always gets fired and the reason most wouldn't hire him to begin with.
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Yes he needs an experienced production team and also the ability to listen and take heed of what he is told by them.
He's got lots od experience in appearing on TV and some presenting before moving into politics. He won't be Harold Wilson or Nadine Dorries bad, but it depends what he's going to be doing there
The bigger problem they'll have is the covid enquiry which is ongoing. Any embarrassing revelations from there could be an issue for GB News, especially on top of other personel issues they have. I think Dominic Cummings is due to appear this week at that
I think retirement home is a good analogy, though it's more a care home for out of work (or potentially soon to be) Tory MPs. Things though if it doesn't go their way at the next election GB News could be the anti establishment TV channel it's always claimed to be this time next year
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(28-10-2023, 10:57 AM)Stooky Bill Wrote: Yes he needs an experienced production team and also the ability to listen and take heed of what he is told by them.
He's got lots od experience in appearing on TV and some presenting before moving into politics. He won't be Harold Wilson or Nadine Dorries bad, but it depends what he's going to be doing there
I assume they have hired him to be Boris Johnson. If they just wanted a competent presenter, there are cheaper options. They are not going to be sending him on any journalism courses.
He will do his act that is known and loved by so many. He will then leave under a cloud at some point in the future and move on to the next job. Repeat. Everyone is happy.
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If it gets people talking about the channel -- regardless of the actual ratings -- I'm pretty sure that would be considered a success.