Stormin’ Corbyn enchants on The Last Leg. Guess who couldn’t see the funny side?
Jeremy Corbyn arrives at Channel 4 for last night’s live broadcast of The Last Leg. Do you think he was having a dig at David Cameron’s comments about his dress sense?
If you thought the footie was the highlight of last night’s TV viewing, you clearly haven’t seen Channel 4’s The Last Leg.
Guest of honour was no less a person than Jeremy Corbyn, who proceeded to win over viewers by the thousand with a non-stop display of deadpan humour, straight-talking politics and understatedly witty digs at David Cameron.
Viewers responded to his calm, soundbite-free explanations of his views on The EU referendum, Tony Blair, Mr Cameron and his own dress sense, among more silly topics like “Would you like a nob for a nose or a nose for a nob,” which he batted away by asking, “What’s the compromise position?”
I was hoping the show’s producers would have posted the clip of Mr Corbyn’s EU referendum discussion on YouTube (I did ask them for it!) but that hasn’t happened yet. In the meantime, here’s his amazing entrance:
“LOVING Jeremy Corbyn on The Last Leg I am all about staying in,” tweeted ‘Kurdstywurdsty’.
“Watch the last leg now if you are undecided on the EU, Corbyn is the first person I’ve heard giving facts and not empty rhetoric,” agreed ‘Alice’.
And ‘Lauren’ added: “I wish everyone was watching The Last Leg tonight to see Jeremy Corbyn talking sense about the EU.”
Here’s ‘Anthony’: “Finally! Positive reasons to Remain.”
Andrew Harwood: “A politician being asked a question and actually answering it? Surely not! Nice one, Jeremy Corbyn!”
Meg of Margate: “Jeremy Corbyn is on The Last Leg and it’s the best thing ever.”
‘Tina’: “Jeremy Corbyn seems like a breath of fresh air compared to most politicians & with a sense of humour!! Not use to this! Lol.”
Even Hugo Rifkind, with whom This Writer clashed over Labour’s ‘anti-Semitism’ row, had kind words: “Corbyn is great on The Last Leg.” And, credit where it’s due, he defended the Labour leader when another Twitter user suggested Corbyn was “awkward & unenthusiastic. Feels like he was arm twisted into this. He’s not a warm personality is he?” Mr Rifkind responded: “I thought he was pretty natural.”
There were many more – and I can demonstrate the strength of popular support for these comments with one of my own tweets. Asked to comment on David Cameron’s now-infamous statement about what the prime minister’s mother would have thought of Jeremy Corbyn – “Smarten yourself up, do up your tie and sing the national anthem,” the Labour leader gave his response.
I tweeted it: “‘Stand up for the NHS and stop worrying about things that don’t matter.’ Corbyn does it AGAIN!” At the time of writing, those words have been read by10,470 people – and I’m the first to admit that I am far from the most popular person on Twitter.
But there were always going to be haters, as ‘Sarrah’ noted: “Oh no The Last Leg made people change their minds about Corbyn. The Daily Mail and Rupert media will hate this.”
She wasn’t wrong!
“Jeremy Corbyn was slammed as ‘dull and boring’ by viewers despite arriving for a chat show in a supercar with a full length ‘fur’ coat,” scribbled Anthony Joseph in the Mail.
“The Labour leader appeared on Channel 4’s The Last Leg last night in a bizarre bid to get his pro-EU message across to a younger audience.
“He made his entrance in a James Bond-style supercar [actually it was a Bentley], full black suit and bow tie – with a ‘fur’ coat over his shoulders.
“However, many people took to Twitter to express their boredom at watching the comedy show due to his demeanour.
“When he did try to make jokes himself, there were very few giggles from the audience.”
Oh really? The trouble with claims like this is, we can judge for ourselves now – the show is available to view on All 4 now. Make up your own mind.
One person who’s going to have to do just that is Chuka Umunna, who reportedly said Labour “would like our star striker to be scoring more goals”.
I sent him a tweet last night, asking, “So, Chuka Umunna, are you happier about your star striker Jeremy Corbyn now?”
No response. Not even a ‘like’. And they say Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t have a sense of humour!
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Sadly the people who didn’t see it will believe the daily nazi as will those people who need to be told what opinions they should hold even if what they are being told runs contrary to their own experience.
The link to the show is in the article. Perhaps these people should be encouraged to watch it themselves?
Problem is the people who see the link on VP aren’t the ones I’m referencing above. I’m talking about the people who believe the eu makes us buy straight bananas etc and think 75 million Turks are waiting to make a beeline for the UK as soon as they’re accepted etc. Those people won’t look for information or allow that anything that runs contrary to their blinkered world view can be true.
I did one of those Daily Heil surveys once that was embedded in an article talking about how the level of violent crime in the UK was greatly reduced. The survey asked whether readers felt safer or less safe. Guess what, even though they would have had to have read the article explaining the UK was safer, the majority (66% if I remember rightly) felt less safe. Presumably the other third actually understood what they’d been reading.
You make a good point.
I have to admit, the last few weeks of referendum campaigning have given me serious doubts about the collective intelligence of the UK electorate.
I’m fortunate to write for a blog that has a large readership of predominantly intelligent people. Even those who comment against what I’ve written are using their brains to do so (for the most part).
Watched it – brilliant.
Totally agreed, i think he won Russell Crowe over q ite easily too, it loomed lke he instantly warmed to Jeremy
Sorry about the typo’s, Mike, new keyboard and old fingers interface failure…
There’s always going to be haters (that’s just a fact of life), and people who write nasty things just for the hell of it, however I was watching last night and thought he did fine, although I did struggle to hear what he was saying sometimes (was that a sound issue, or is he just that quiet?).
The reactions from the usual suspects doesn’t surprise me in the least, in fact I’m waiting for a barrage of abuse from all the obvious newspapers.
I thought the beginning intro was brilliant!, and as for ‘him’ bashing ‘Cameron’ over the head with a drain cover…. LMAO!
I guess you could say it was well masterminded :)
He was everything I thought he would be and more.. No cheap jibes, no pathetic soundbytes and no empty rhetoric.
Everything a leader should be…
All the things Cameron and his band of fools and floppy haired Bullington bores aren’t.
Corbyn was himself ! Natural funny and honest ! What a refreshing change to see a man like this in politics
In less than two week before the EU referendum with hundreds of thousands of Labour voters wavering, when pressed Corbyn reluctantly,the EU a miserable “seven out of ten”. Thanks, Jezza. Your pro-EU campaigning and enthusiasm will no doubt help keep us in the EU… NOT!
Mike, seriously, do you really believe in your heart that Jeremy Corbyn could ever lead Labour to victory in 2025 and become the next Labour Prime Minister.
Do you really believe that such a thing might be possible?.
No, I believe it is possible that he can lead us to victory in 2020 – or before.
Corbyn won thousands over to ‘Remain’ with his words on The Last Leg, and you know why?
Because he meant them.
Anybody watching could tell that, yes, he does have serious reservations about the way the European Union is run at the moment. But he has considered the alternatives and on balance has decided that in the current political situation the wisest choice is to vote ‘Remain’.
That position is much more acceptable than the ranting we have had from the Tories on either side of the debate, and much more reasonable too.
Missed the show but will now watch it! Thanks Mike VP
He came across very well on TLL, he was just himself, something the right wing cannot handle!