Watch Nigel Farage short-circuit midway through the leaders' debate

The Ukip leader's robotic performance during the seven-way contest didn't go unnoticed by the viewers at home

Whatever you do, don’t mention the deficit near Nigel Farage.

Come to think of it, don’t mention any number at all.

The Ukip leader had a tough time during the televised seven-way leaders’ debate on Thursday. Not just because he decided to bring up his old favourite argument about immigrants with HIV moving to the UK to get treatment on the NHS (a claim Leanne Wood said he should be “ashamed” for stating). But also because he appeared to malfunction midway through the heated contest when the subject of Britain’s insurmountable debt came up.

And it didn’t go unnoticed by the viewers at home, some of whom speculated that his circuit boards might have been held in place with a skin of wax, which appeared to be melting under the studio lights: