British Comedy Guide
Have I Got News For You. Image shows left to right: Ian Hislop, Paul Merton. Credit: Matt Crockett
Have I Got News For You

Have I Got News For You

  • TV panel show
  • BBC One / BBC Two
  • 1990 - 2024
  • 610 episodes (68 series)

Long-running topical panel game with a strong political slant, featuring team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton. Also features Angus Deayton.

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Series 62, Episode 10

Have I Got News For You
Martin Clunes invites journalist Steph McGovern and comedy writer Armando Iannucci to pair up with regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton to poke fun at the week's events.

Further details

The guest panellists joined regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton in a week that saw numerous covid blows and gaffes from the Tory Party, Elon Musk winning TIME magazine's 'Person Of The Year' award, a controversial conclusion to the Grand Prix season and public complaints about a missing chocolate from an advent calendar.

First up, the panel's attention was turned to the number of Tory backbenchers who rebelled in this week's vote for the prime minister's new public health measures, with the number of Omicron cases surging across the country.

Meanwhile, further allegations surfaced about new Christmas parties held by the Conservatives in 2020, with former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey resigning from an official role in the London Assembly, after an image of a party held with his then campaign team was obtained by the Daily Mirror.

Ian Hislop: "The Tory party excelled themselves by rebelling against a public health measure. They didn't bother when it was about corruption or standards, but when it was a sensible measure about this virus they all said, 'No! This is fascism, this is Stalin-ism'.

"Anyway, the backbenchers had a fit and the measures only got through because the Labour Party supported the Conservative Party... it's a new definition of 'opposition'. So that was quite embarrassing for Boris, but not particularly, given the rest of his week."

Armando Iannucci: "Yes, lots of parties are being found that have taken place last year in Number 10. In fact, the data isn't in, but I think they found that the number of parties last year was doubling every two to three days."

Martin Clunes: "According to The Mirror, the party for Conservative activists and campaign workers was described as 'raucous', and a door was broken. So unfortunately they got out.

"One of the excuses for the gathering was that they'd all been working hard for hours on end, so we're probably being a bit hard on them. Aren't they allowed to work together and let off a bit of steam? Right, that's the balance taken care of... let's move on."

Ian Hislop: "That's exactly what Number 10 said, that everyone in Number 10 has been working really hard, so they should have a party... and in the Treasury and the Department of Education. But not in the NHS or in anywhere you work (looking to audience). No, you haven't been working hard, you've been doing b**ger all all year! Look at this lazy lot!"

Martin Clunes: "This is the scandalous party... that held several parties last Christmas. Shaun Bailey was the Head of the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee, but he's no longer in the chair... as the music stopped and somebody else got there first."

It was also announced this week that Elon Musk has been named TIME magazine's 'Person Of The Year'.

Martin Clunes: "TIME magazine called him a clown, a genius, a visionary, an industrialist and a showman. Who knew there were two of us?

"This is Elon Musk, who's been named TIME magazine's 'Person Of The Year'. Elon Musk is planning to build a futuristic Noah's Ark, to bring the animals and creatures of Earth to Mars. One tip Elon... leave the bats."

Notes

The teams drew, 7 points each.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 17th December 2021
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
30 minutes
Recorded
  • Thursday 16th December 2021, 19:00 at Riverside Studios

Cast & crew

Cast
Ian Hislop Team Captain
Paul Merton Team Captain
Guest cast
Martin Clunes Host / Presenter
Armando Iannucci Guest
Steph McGovern Guest
Writing team
Colin Swash Writer (Additional Material)
Kevin Day Writer (Additional Material)
Shaun Pye Writer (Additional Material)
Christine Rose Writer (Additional Material)
Monica Long Writer (Additional Material)
Katie Storey Writer (Additional Material)
Laura Claxton Writer (Additional Material)
Rhiannon Shaw Writer (Additional Material)
Production team
Paul Wheeler Director
Danny Carr Series Producer
Jo Maney Producer
Richard Wilson Executive Producer
Ruby Kuraishe Executive Producer
Simon Brook Editor
Nick Pratt Editor
Daniel Keevil Editor
Balint Szabo Editor
Jonathan Paul Green Production Designer
Mikki Rain Production Designer
Peter Raby Lighting Designer
George Webley (as Big George) Composer
Phil Hewson Graphics
David Ward Graphics
Darren Beadle Production Designer

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