Have I Got News For You

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/12/nigel-farage-have-i-got-news-for-you_n_5137440.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&;ir=UK

One may not agree with Nigel Farage's politics but he did not deserve to be put up as the sacrificial lamb and verbally insulted on a light treated satirical show such as 'Have I Got News For You'.

The whole show was presented as an attack on Nigel Farage, how he managed to laugh things off I do not know, I wouldn't have blamed him if he got up and walked away in disgust.

But it didn't stop there even at the end the show's host actor and ??comedian?? Stephen Mangan had to have a dig at the Tories and the Lib Dems, but strangely nothing malicious aimed at Labour, but then we have come to expect this from our left leaning BBC.

[mikey4444]

Farage is the Leader of a very minor political party, so I think he was lucky to be thought important enough to be asked on to the program in the first place. The Greens have one more MP than UKIP has, but it was Farage that got invited.

Given that the ribbing was fairly mild, I thought he didn't come out of it terribly badly. He is, after all, quite affable and if he is the Leader of UKIP, he must learn to expect some vigorous questioning once in a while. Anyway, he didn't exactly cover himself in glory by not recognising Members of his own party when they appeared on camera !

[Svejk]

I thought he came out of it very well. Even the most rabid, left-wing loons must admit he withstood the nonstop barrage of ridicule with great dignity and affability. Another 2 seats, at the next election, in the bag. ;)

[viv38]

Oh come of it AOG when Labour was in power HIGNFY often took the p*** !! They do it to whoever is in power, that's all !

[black_cat51]

i also thought he came out of it extremely well

[Svejk]

I don't think I've seen a whole show dedicated to attacking a guest, as this one was. But like I say, the more the beeb, other politicians and the media, in general, try to put them down, the more votes ukip will garner.

[naomi24]

I didn't see it - but he's no fool.

[EcclesCake]

You would have to be super naive to appear on such a long standing programme as HIGNFY and not expect to have the stuffing knocked out of you!

[sandyRoe]

Did they drag him in off the street and have his feet tied to the floor? He might be of the opinion that there's no such thing as bad publicity

[naomi24]

Did he fare better than the tub of lard that was substituted for Roy Hattersley?

[SeaJayPea]

I don't think that HIGNFY is politically biased at all. They just have a healthy disregard for politicians of all parties. Don't you remember the 'tub of lard' programme? Or the constant having a go at Gordon Brown? The list goes on...

Farage is no idiot, he knew perfectly well what was coming and also knew that he could ride above it. He probably did better out of it than you'd think.

[ChillDoubt]

He's been on HIGNFY before so knew what to expect.
He always deals with the ribbing in the right manner and at the moment, any publicity is good publicity as it is raising his profile even further, as mikey's "very minor political party" proves.
They're most certainly not, but mikey knows that.

[anotheoldgit]

mikey4444

/// Farage is the Leader of a very minor political party, so I think he was lucky to be thought important enough to be asked on to the program in the first place. The Greens have one more MP than UKIP has, but it was Farage that got invited. ///

What has that got to do with it?

One does not have even have to be a serving politician to be invited on the show, in the past we have seen all kinds of people on the panels, even show business personalities etc.

/// Given that the ribbing was fairly mild ///???????????????

Call it mild to be personally insulted, well perhaps some are lacking in the rules regarding manners, but common decency is all that is needed.

/// He is, after all, quite affable and if he is the Leader of UKIP, he must learn to expect some vigorous questioning once in a while. ///

This was a satirical news show not a political debate.

[Ken4155]

If he was invited back on the show, my guess is he would accept like a shot.

[seadogg]

Anyone who has read Private Eye knows what Hislop is about. Any public figure is there to be lampooned in a free society and it did Boris no harm. As to using the programme to attack the best broadcasting service on the planet, I would imagine that most of the anti BBC types would be watching some candyfloss on another channel.

[ummmm]

AOG...how do you cope even watching it?

[hc4361]

This is his third time on and each time he got a ribbing. He knows what to expect and how to play it.

[Old_Geezer]

He knows what he's in for when he agrees to go on. Clearly he thinks the publicity and image of a good sport, is worth it.

[anotheoldgit]

Seems strange that when Reginald-D-Hunter appears on HIGNFY which he does on a regular basis, no one dares to insult or ridicule him, I wonder why?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/comedy/8896710/Reginald-D-Hunter-is-out-to-make-us-squirm.html

[jno]

even Angus Deayton got torn to shreds, and he was the chairman, though given to exotic pursuits in his spare time. And when Roy Hattersley failed to turn up, not for the first time, they got a tub of lard and put it on his seat.

This isn't a show to appear on if you want people to be nice to you.