David Mitchell and Jeremy Paxman to host C4's Election Night 2015

Monday 20th April 2015, 11:59am

Channel 4's Alternative Election Night. Image shows from L to R: David Mitchell, Jeremy Paxman. Copyright: Zeppotron

Channel 4's Alternative Election Night is to return for this year's General Election.

On Thursday 7th May, Jeremy Paxman and David Mitchell will preside over an evening of programming as a team of comedians and news reporters give their take on the unfolding story.

Aisling Bea, Roisin Conaty, Adam Hills, Kayvan Novak, Sarah Pascoe, Romesh Ranganathan and Henning Wehn are some of the comedians who will be appearing as part of the programme.

Additionally, Pointless co-host Richard Osman will be on hand to provide his interpretation of events, with Gary Gibbon and Cathy Newman providing hard-edged commentary on the political story.

The Channel 4 News reporting team will also be on the ground in key electoral battlegrounds, reporting right through the night and bringing the latest news and results.

Described as "an all-night feast of comedy and comment on the night of what is predicted to be the tightest Election in decades", the programming block will also include special election-themed episodes of Gogglebox and The Last Leg.

This will be the second Channel 4's Alternative Election Night. The format, developed by 8 Out Of 10 Cats producers Zeppotron, was first broadcast on General Election Night in 2010. That programme was hosted by Charlie Brooker, Jimmy Carr, David Mitchell and Lauren Laverne, later spawning the channel's weekly satirical show 10 O'Clock Live.

Speaking about this year's Alternative Election Night programming, Ed Havard from Channel 4 says: "This is an unpredictable election and we've got a genuinely unpredictable and exciting line up for our take on election night. It promises to be very different, and a lot of fun. Plus we're on all night so you won't miss a thing."

Jeremy Paxman says: "Elections matter. But that doesn't mean the coverage has to be dull. I hope there'll be room for both insight and laughter."

David Mitchell adds: "Our aim is to keep people watching much later than they intended and we will be judged by the dip in the nation's productivity on Friday 8th May."

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