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 66, Episode 9

Have I Got News For You. Naga Munchetty
BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty takes up the reins as host. Guest panellists Richard Osman and Maisie Adam join team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop to poke fun at the week's headlines.

Further details

BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty returns to the show, making her second appearance in the guest host's chair. Alongside regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton this week are comedian Maisie Adam and presenter and writer Richard Osman.

It has been another busy week of news for the panels to pick apart, with ongoing dispute about the government's Rwandan immigration scheme and Boris Johnson giving his long-awaited evidence at the COVID Inquiry.

It wasn't long before the panel turned their attention to the former Prime Minister Johnson, who appeared at the COVID Inquiry this week to give his evidence, appearing emotional and apologetic at times, as he looked back on his period in office during the pandemic. The panel also took time to point out his increasingly dishevelled hair throughout the day's proceedings.

"Boris has appeared at the COVID Inquiry on Wednesday and Thursday, and claimed that when he said things like 'let people die', he was just expressing views that other people had said. Him being one of them...." Paul Merton joked, continuing, "I wasn't entirely convinced by the emotional bit..."

"And the fact that he had an onion chopped up in front of him..." Ian Hislop jokingly agreed.

"How did Boris prepare for his appearance?" asked host Naga Munchetty.

"I imagine in these situations, you want to sort of practise in a room, where people fire questions at you and you're determined not to lose your temper while people shout 'f***wit' at you," Merton laughed.

"I bet Carrie was more than happy to do a few practises of that," Maisie Adam quipped.

"According to The Times, Boris's legal team presented him with a 6000 page document to prepare him for his grilling," said Munchetty.

"As if he's going to read that..." laughed Merton.

"This is Boris at the start of the day... that's serious hairdo," said Munchetty looking at a picture of Johnson with tidier hair at the start of the day. "Here he is at the end..." she said, pointing to a second picture with Johnson's much untidier hair.

"You know it's bad when I'm slagging of your hair..." quipped Adam, continuing, "I've heard that apparently he deliberately ruffles his hair."

"I've seen him do it on this programme! He's just come out of make-up, make up are there combing his hair. 15 seconds later, he comes out..." said Paul Merton, before pretending to dishevel his own hair.

"Admittedly, there is a wind tunnel between there and here..." Merton joked, pointing to the studio wings.

"But it's an attempt to distract attention from the fact that his answers are all over the place. You look at his hair, and think 'why's that so messy'. And then you look at what he's saying, which was pitiful... and he was smirking. He literally is still taking the piss out of us," said Hislop.

Notes

Paul and Richard won, 6 points to 2.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 8th December 2023
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
30 minutes
Recorded
  • Thursday 7th December 2023, 19:10 at Riverside Studios

Cast & crew

Cast
Ian Hislop Team Captain
Paul Merton Team Captain
Guest cast
Naga Munchetty Host / Presenter
Richard Osman Guest
Maisie Adam Guest
Writing team
Colin Swash Writer (Additional Material)
Dan Gaster Writer (Additional Material)
Kevin Day Writer (Additional Material)
Shaun Pye Writer (Additional Material)
Christine Rose Writer (Additional Material)
Fraser Steele Writer (Additional Material)
Rose Johnson Writer (Additional Material)
Robin Morgan Writer (Additional Material)
Production team
David Smith Director
Mike Rayment Series Producer
Jack Harris Producer
Richard Wilson Executive Producer
Katie Taylor Executive Producer
Matt Roberts Editor
Dan Isitt Editor
David Wiseman Editor
David Abramsky Editor
Jonathan Paul Green Production Designer
Mikki Rain Production Designer
Karen Jackson Costume Designer
Peter Raby Lighting Designer
George Webley (as Big George) Composer
Phil Hewson Graphics
David Ward Graphics

Video

Boris Johnson's hair

Paul Merton reveals he has seen Boris Johnson deliberately messing up his hair.

Featuring: Ian Hislop, Paul Merton & Maisie Adam.

Press

BBC Breakfast's Naga Munchetty stuns viewers with X-rated joke

Naga Munchetty stunned Have I Got News For You viewers with an X-rated joke on air.

The BBC Breakfast star, 48, was in the hosting seat for the latest episode of the comedy quiz show.

Alex Doyle, The Sun, 9th December 2023

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