Thursday night’s edition of Newsnight is sure to go down as an all-time classic, thanks to the wonderful presenter Emily Maitlis telling BBC director-general Mark Thompson: ‘I’m now so old my pussy is haunted.”
Just in case the DG was too shocked to take it in fully, Maitlis helpfully repeated the line.
For those who missed Newsnight, it should be pointed out that Maitlis was quoting comic Frankie Boyle, a panellist from Wednesday night’s Mock The Week programme, who suggested the line as one of the “things the Queen would never say during her Christmas speech”.
Maitlis was pressing Thompson to give an opinion – in the wake of the Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross affair – if it was acceptable for the BBC to broadcast a comedian putting the words ‘I’m now so old my pussy is haunted’into the mouth of the sovereign.
Axegrinder suspects Maitlis’s remarkable performance will soon be a huge hit on YouTube.
But until then, we recommend you enjoy the interview on BBC iPlayer or via the link on the Newsnight web page.
Maitlis’s interview with Thompson begins 10 minutes into the programme. She delivers her killer question after 17 minutes and 5 seconds.
To see Frankie Boyle utter the ‘haunted pussy’gag, skip to 27 minutes and 58 seconds of Mock the Week.
9am update: here it is on Youtube:
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
