Have I Got News For You

Jason Manford guest hosts the panel show for the first time. Glenn Moore and Jess Phillips MP are the panellists.

Having appeared on the show once previously as a panellist in 2016, this is Jason Manford's debut in the guest host's chair. He says: "Really chuffed to be hosting this legendary show that I used to watch as a teenager with my dad. Let's hope it's yet another fun week in the news!"

This week has seen Prime Minister Rishi Sunak give a speech presenting himself as the leader to steer us through what he warned would be 'dangerous, transformational' years ahead for the UK; opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer setting out Labour's six pledges should they win this year's general election; an abstract royal portrait of King Charles being unveiled; and Donald Trump and Joe Biden agreeing to a television debate for the US's upcoming election.

However, Manford and Hislop were also keen to probe Jess Phillips MP for her take on one of last week's biggest stories- former Tory MP for Dover Natalie Elphicke's controversial defection to Labour.

"Keir's not had a great week as Rishi Sunak has been able to make some quite good jokes about who is this completely awful person who has just joined the Labour Party... who used to be in the Tory Party 5 minutes ago... it does give you leverage. Was that depressing Jess?" asked Hislop.

"Yeah, bit depressing," responded Phillips.

"Yeah... anyone else you wouldn't like to welcome?" continued Hislop.

"There's no way I can do this without it being libellous..." Phillips quipped.

"Good, let's go!" laughed Hislop, as Manford rubbed his hands together.

"I tell you what, I'll do it in parliament because then I'm safe..." replied Phillips, smiling.

"What do you think about having Natalie Elphicke as a colleague?" Manford asked Phillips directly.

"I find it problematic considering what she said about the victims of her ex-husband, who was sent to prison for sexual crimes."

"You got her to apologise?" Manford queried.

"I did get her to apologise... I don't know that she would see it in those terms... but that's how it happened" Phillips nodded, to laughter from Manford.

"Did she vote for you this week, with your motion?" asked comedian Glenn Moore, about a motion that Phillips had put forward this week calling for MPs who have been arrested for serious violent or sexual offences to be barred from attending parliament.

"She did vote with my motion, and we won by one... and so people say to me 'oh it was Natalie Elphicke's vote'. That's not how maths works..." Phillips pointed out.

Elsewhere in the episode, the panel also had the opportunity to take a look at a very abstract new painting of King Charles, which was unveiled this week by its artist Jonathan Yeo, as the first official portrait of Charles as King. It has caused quite a stir, not least for its unusually prominent reliance on the colour red.

"Charles unveiled the first official portrait of himself as King, by artist Jonathan Yeo," Manford explained.

"Do you reckon the artist turned up, opened his box and he was like 'I've only brought red, I've only brought red! Christ,'" Glenn Moore joked.

"The fingers do look really unflattering. I know that he famously has sausage fingers, but they're really accentuated... they're the only thing you can see apart from his face," said Phillips.

"What do you make of it from an artistic point of view though?" asked Manford.

"It's a bit 'Freud-y', it's a bit 'Bacon-y'," replied Hislop.

"It's not 'Bacon-y', it's 'sausage-y'" joked Moore.

"So this is the portrait of King Charles unveiled this week. According to The Sun, artist Jonathan Yeo said he was nervous about the unveiling. I don't know why... if Charles didn't like it, he could get Kate to tickle it up in PhotoShop," laughed Manford.