During a guest appearance on Channel 4’s coverage of the U.S. election, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was “fired for banging on about his book,” according to co-host Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
For holding out his memoir and plugging it in just minutes into the live show “America Decides: U.S. Presidential Election,” he received a reprimand.
Mr. Johnson made two references to his new book and tried to hold it out to the audience, but Channel 4 newsreader Guru-Murthy warned him to “put it away” and “stop it, enough.”
The former prime minister’s acts were deemed “so cheap” by Mr. Guru-Murthy.
“There’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop me,” Mr. Johnson shot back. I’m free to promote my book.
Later in the panel discussion, Mr. Johnson stated that following his July assassination attempt, he had a meeting with Republican nominee and former US president Donald Trump.
“In case I didn’t mention it, I spoke with him about Ukraine and I am promoting my book Unleashed,” he stated.
“The answer is obviously contained in Unleashed, where you’ll find the full discussion of this subject,” Mr. Johnson responded when asked if he would follow in Mr. Trump’s footsteps in terms of making a political return if he were elected president.
He was told by co-host Emily Maitlis: “Just tell us, do you want to have a political comeback? We won’t all read your book. In reality, you are unable to respond to any of the questions.
“By the way, Emily, I’ve answered all your questions all night,” Mr. Johnson retorted. I am currently contentedly promoting my book Unleashed, which is available at all reputable bookshops.
Michael Cohen, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, took Mr. Johnson’s position on the Channel 4 panel later in the show.
“Boris Johnson has been fired for banging on about his book,” Mr. Guru-Murphy informed the audience.
It was unclear if Mr. Johnson had left the seminar early or if his departure had been prearranged.
Following the publication of his new biography, “Unleashed,” last month, Mr. Johnson, 60, has been actively marketing it.
The 784-plooks backooks Mr. Johnson’s tenure as prime minister from 2019 to 2022, covering topics like the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit.
Alongside former “Newsnight” host Maitlis, Channel 4 newsreader Mr. Guru-Murthy is leading the network’s first overnight U.S. election broadcast since 1992.
As Americans vote for either Mr. Trump or Democratic contender Kamala Harris to win the presidency, political commentators and other well-known figures, including Mr. Johnson, joined the hosts in the Washington, DC studio.
The show’s guests include Stormy Daniels, the woman at the center of Mr. Trump’s hush money prosecution after an affair between the two, and Republican supporter and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner.
We have reached out to a Channel 4 official for comment.
