Former prime minister will be appearing on TV later this evening but unlike most people, Johnson won't be making sure he looks his best before stepping in front of the cameras.
will air an exclusive interview between former leader and News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby at 7pm tonight following the being r from political journalist.
With just a few hours to go until Johnson sits down with his new interviewer Bradby, you would be forgiven for thinking the former politician is steaming his best suit and sitting in hair and make-up in order to look presentable as he graces television screens across the country.
"He’s a barber’s nightmare," a Johnson ally previously said of millionaire's unkept hairstyle. "Because the second he gets out the chair he sticks his hands through it and ruffles it all up. So however the barber tries to style it, it will look like a mop." But why would someone who wants to be taken seriously in a position of authority purposely make it look like they brush their hair with a toffee apple?
Eton educated Johnson, born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, actually deliberately messes up his hair before public appearances in a bid to distance himself from his ultra posh roots and present himself as a "scruffily loveable English libertarian". Johnson, with three different women, is unashamed of the sly political tactic. Speaking to the Guardian in 2014, he dodged questions about his hair care routine, claiming ignorance about the shampoo he uses. "I'm now so short-sighted, I'm blind! " he declared, joking that he could have used acne cream or toothpaste on his hair by mistake that day. "I honestly couldn't see, but I put it on and it seemed to work."
In 2020, Johnson was quizzed about his hair routine as he attempted to lead the country through the Covid-19 pandemic. The then prime minister shrugged off criticism of his untidy mop during a visit to Greater Manchester. A curious reporter dropped a query about his notorious barnet, explaining it was on behalf of his mum.
The journalist posed: "Your hair is all over the place and [my mother] wants to know why." Boris shot back with, "It's something to do with my hair but I can tell you I do brush it." Following up with an apology for his dishevelled 'do, the ex-PM added, "will you give your mother my very best for a very happy ."
Johnson had been due to speak to Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC this evening but the The former Political Editor of the BBC, who earns between £325,000-£329,999, came clean about the blunder that left the interview dead in the water on social media.
"While prepping to interview tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team. That obviously means it's not right for the interview to go ahead," Kuenssberg told her (X) followers on Wednesday night. "It's very frustrating, and there's no point pretending it's anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked. But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday."
The BBC interview was set to be Johnson's first heavy-hitting grilling recounting his stint at No. 10 since he gave up the position in September 2022. Johnson, who stepped down from Parliament just before a damning standards committee report found he had misled the Commons over No10 parties, insists his removal from office was unjust and is poised to air his grievances in his forthcoming book, Unleashed, expected to hit shelves this month.
In his interview with ITV Tom Brady this evening, Johnson dodged questions from Bradby about whether he regrets saying sorry to the Queen for the gatherings that occurred just before Prince Philip's funeral, despite being pressed on the matter three times. The former PM's fresh memoir, Unleashed, paints his apologies for the Partygate scandal as a blunder, branding them "pathetic" and "grovelling", and suggesting they exaggerated the government's guilt.
When Bradby grilled him on a passage from his book regarding his approach to Partygate, asking, "You basically say it wasn't a big deal. I regret apologising. Is that really your position? " and "Did you regret apologising to the Queen? ", Johnson sidestepped, stating, "I don't discuss my conversations with the Queen."
Pushed for more clarity, Johnson elaborated, "What I was trying to say there was, I think that the blanket apology - the sort of apology I issued right at the beginning - I think the trouble with it was that afterwards, all the accusations that then rained down on officials who'd been working very hard in Number 10 and elsewhere were thought to be true. And by apologising I had sort of inadvertently validated the entire corpus and it wasn't fair on those people."
Johnson continued to reflect on his tenure, discussing his approach to , the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Partygate scandal that ultimately led to his resignation. He also addressed the turmoil that followed Brexit, laying blame on his predecessors, including and , in his book.
Speaking to ITV News, he expressed surprise at Cameron's decision to quit after the UK voted to leave the EU, criticising him for lacking a plan. The former PM stated: "What we expected and what I think, you know, everybody expected was that the Cameron Government having called a referendum a "yes", "no" choice for the people - a leave, remain choice for the people - would bring forward a white paper."
Bradby interrupted: "Why? He didn't believe it - what made you possibly think that would be?" Johnson replied: "Because every other European leader when their whole referendum decides, you know, once the people have voted, decides what to do and stays in office." He added: "So, it's not normal for the prime minister having asked for a referendum vote suddenly to evacuate the stage."
*Boris Johnson: The Interview airs tonight at 7 PM on ITV1
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