Paul Merton says Ann Widdecombe encounter was ‘lowest point of my career’
Paul Merton has described an interaction with former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe as being “the lowest point of my professional life”. In a Q&A with The Telegraph, the comedian and longtime Have I Got News for You panelist recalled an episode of the BBC series in which Widdecombe featured as guest host. At the time, Widdecombe was a Tory MP; the notoriously eccentric politician later served as a member of European Parliament for the Brexit Party, and is currently Reform UK’s Immigration and Justice spokesperson. Paul Merton on ‘Have I Got News For You’ (left) and Ann Widdecombe (right) (BBC/Getty) Asked about his worst moment on Have I Got News for You, Merton, 68, responded: “Ann Widdecombe hosting, who obviously is the queen of comedy. At one point she turned to me and said, ‘Come on, be funny. That’s what you’re being paid for.’ I thought, ‘I’m aware of my professional responsibilities, you goblin.’ “That was the lowest point of my professional life, being directed by Ann Widdecombe,” he added. Widdecombe hosted Have I Got …
