HIGNFY Report from “Roving Reporter”

The filming of HIGNFY went brilliantly though Paul Merton was obviously on a crusade throughout.


We learned that the studios had served mulled wine to the waiting crowd queuing in the cold London air to see Boris. His guests were Emily Maitlis and Sue Perkins. I guessed the delectable and fragrant Newsnight presenter would be favoured by Boris, not least the kinky boots she was wearing but no, Boris was even-handed in his attention to both ladies. Sue Perkins’s funniest moment in my opinion was having her breasts bronzed at the beginning. I didn’t know that was a requirement, I can’t wait for John Prescott to be a guest.

Ian Hislop sought his wife and son out in the audience before seeming satisfied to start the programme and relax into his role. Boris sought someone out in the audience which I later learned was his sister Rachel – and talk about two peas! I thought the show would be more scripted but no, it wasn’t at all and Boris carried the whole evening – he was a star and entertained throughout in that thoroughly good natured but hilarious style all his own. Sometimes even the audience couldn’t decipher his mumbles but I see the camera picked up the lot; a potato clock – that one had to be painstakingly explained to Sue Perkins, as did one of the best jokes – got it from Argos, geddit?? Is it there?

The crusade that Paul Merton held on to was the death of Princess Diana and he repeated, again and again, that the Royal family, particularly Prince Philip, were culpable. He was like a dog with a bone. The joke was well worn out long before he let go of it, in fact he never did let go of it, he paused briefly to tell a joke while we waited for re-takes (of which there were very few) One audience member complained that he had told the same joke the last time he came – now that was funny.

Ian Hislop was on his usual excellent form and his clothes fascinate me, he is impeccably dressed and his wife Victoria is just gorgeous, generous with her time and good company. Her book The Island is on the best seller list and gained a mention as did Boris’s new book and perfect stocking filler Have I Got Views For You.

This episode is the last in the series. Enjoy!

7 thoughts on “HIGNFY Report from “Roving Reporter””

  1. Ooh I’ve just bought the book ‘The Island’ and thought Boris’s book was brilliant. I see there’s a special offer on a waterstones for ‘Have i got views for you’ Hmn, methinks my present dilemma is solved!

    Nice one Boz Cat 🙂

    Boris on HIGNFY is like the cherry on the trifle, the rum sauce on the pudding, the mustard on the turkey, the crispy coating on the roasties, the icing on the cake.

  2. Not all of us got mulled wine *grumph*. The standup asked the audience about mulled wine, and I would say that the majority of us started looking about with ‘mulled wine? WHERE?!’ expressions.

    “One audience member complained that he had told the same joke the last time he came – now that was funny.”

    He tells the same joke EVERY time…. including room 101 recordings… that’s what’s funny. The people who’ve been before give out a collective sigh. It’s a bonding experience! Usually he does it as a sound check.

    I liked the William Hague impersonations (although one did mutate into Jimmy Saville… did these make the cut for TV?)

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