View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
June 17, 2019updated 30 Sep 2022 7:56am

More than a million viewers tune in to Channel 4 Tory leadership debate

By James Walker

More than a million people tuned in to the Conservative Party leadership debate hosted by Channel 4 last night, the broadcaster has said.

Channel 4 said an average of 1.3m viewers watched the debate, an increase of 48 per cent on the average viewership for the 6.30pm to 8pm Sunday timeslot.

The broadcaster also claimed that the show, titled Britain’s Next PM and hosted by Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy, peaked at 1.5m viewers.

Boris Johnson was the only candidate to snub the debate. The Tory leadership race front runner was represented by an empty lectern throughout the hour-and-a-half broadcast.

It prompted comments from his six rivals during the show, including Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt who quipped: “If Boris’ team won’t let him out to debate five pretty friendly colleagues, how will he get on with 27 EU countries?”

However, the former Mayor of London is set to take part in the debate hosted by the BBC tomorrow night following a second round of voting by Conservative MPs, further narrowing the field. The winner of the Tory leadership contest will go on to become the next UK Prime Minister.

Ahead of last night’s broadcast, Jeremy Hunt promised to revive monthly prime ministerial press conferences should he become leader.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

The monthly press conferences were wound down under former prime minister David Cameron, having once been a staple of the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown premierships.

Hunt made his pledge to revive the conferences in an interview with the Mail on Sunday yesterday. He told the newspaper that he wanted to come under proper scrutiny, should he find himself in Number 10.

Press Gazette has asked the other leadership candidates if they will match the pledge, but has yet to receive a response.

Picture: Channel 4

Topics in this article : ,

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network