Ian Hislop has uncomfortable Have I Got News For You exchange with ex-Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns

‘You’ve got no evidence for that,’ Hislop replied, after Jenkyns claimed that the show’s studio audience had been hand-picked for political reasons

Ian Hislop exchanged words with former Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns during Friday’s (11 October) episode of Have I Got News For You.

The awkward exchange was ignited when Jenkyns praised former prime minister Boris Johnson, prompting groans from the audience in the studio. At this point, she accused the long-running BBC panel show of deliberately selecting its audience to be stacked with people critical of the Conservative party.

Hislop, one of the team captains on the series alongside comedian Paul Merton, described the claim as “b*****ks”.

Jenkyns served as the Member of Parliament for Morley and Outwood from 2015 to 2024, but lost in the election earlier this year.

During Johnson’s controversial time in office, she was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills. Johnson’s stint as prime minister was widely criticised for his handling of the Covid pandemic, and the violation of his own lockdown restrictions in the scandal that became known as “partygate”.

Speaking about the possibility of Johnson returning to politics on Have I Got News For You, Jenkyns said: “I don’t think it’s over for him. I still think Boris was one of our better prime ministers.”

This remark drew groans of dissent from the studio audience. Jenkyns then turned to Hislop and said: “I see you’ve selected the audience. The people who don’t like Boris or Conservatives.”

Ian Hislop and Andrea Jenkyns on ‘Have I Got News For You' (BBC)

“You can’t just say, ‘You’ve selected the audience,’” Hislop responded. “You’ve got no evidence for that, no proof. It’s just b*****ks. This isn’t GB News.”

Viewers shared their reactions to the exchange on social media, with some deeming the encounter “awkward”.

Earlier this month, Hislop made headlines when a taxi he was travelling in was briefly thought to have been targeted by gunfire.

The panel show stalwart, who is also the longstanding editor of Private Eye, was travelling through Soho, London on Tuesday morning when the window of his car suddenly shattered.

Urgent forensic examinations were undertaken, but showed that no firearm had been discharged. Instead, it is believed that a mechanical fault may have caused the window to shatter, according to the police.

Hislop and Merton subsequently saw the funny side of the incident during an episode of Have I Got News For You, with Merton quipping: “I have an alibi.”