Tory MP Steve Brine fumes over ‘the Joe Lycett debacle’ after Liz Truss BBC interview

MP told BBC director general Tim Davie he should have not booked Lycett to make a good impression with their new show

Joe Lycett has been criticised by a Tory MP in parliament following an interview in which the comedian claimed to be “extremely right wing”.

On Sunday (4 September), the comedian appeared on the first episode of Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, during which he cheered and shouted: “You smashed it, Liz,” following an interview with Liz Truss.

He then said: “I know there’s been criticism in The Mail on Sunday today about leftie liberal wokie comedians on the BBC. I’m actually very right wing and I love it. I thought she gave great clear answers. I know exactly what she’s up to.”

During Tuesday morning’s (6 September) digital, culture, media and support committee meeting in parliament, BBC director general Tim Davie was criticised by Conservative MP Steve Brine over the interview.

The politician, who represents Winchester, began by praising Kuenssberg and calling her “a fantastic journalist”.

“But I would say that her show got off to a challenging start in terms of major appeal outside of SW1, and on this whole issue of impartiality, by the Joe Lycett debacle,” Brine said.

“He was asked on as a pundit, he did this mock applause after Liz Truss left the interview chair, was then immediately asked for his reaction and he said, ‘She was the dregs of what they’ve got available and the backwash of the available MPs.’”

While Lycett did say those words in his interview, he insisted that they were not his own opinions as he was now “very right wing”.

“I think the haters will say we’ve had 12 years of the Tories, and that we’re sort of at the dregs of what they’ve got available, and that Liz Truss is sort of like the backwash of the available MPs,” Lycett said.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

“I wouldn’t say that, because I’m incredibly right wing, but some people might say that.”

Discussing the interview in the committee meeting, Brine said: “Now, whatever your opinion… for a brand new show which really wants to get off to a good start, when you’re booking a pundit to go on, Joe Lycett is not an uncontroversial figure.

“You talk about the conversations that go on after output, how about a conversation that goes on before output? Where somebody says, ‘You know what, new show, new start, new term. Let’s not book Joe, because we know what Joe is going to deliver.’”

He continued: “Somebody who’s ungenerous to the BBC could say you knew exactly what Joe was going to deliver and that’s why you booked him.”

Lycett appeared on ‘Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg’ over the weekend (BBC)

On Monday (5 September), Lycett explained that he’d been booked by Kuenssberg and her team as they were looking to go in a “slightly different direction” with the interview.

“I suppose they maybe didn’t realise that I’m really right wing now. I think maybe they thought I was left wing,” he explained.

“I have changed my viewpoints over the year, but then so has Liz Truss. She was a Lib Dem, now she’s a Tory. She was Remain, now she’s [a] Brexiteer. People change their minds and you’ve gotta keep up with that.”

Lycett also said that a BBC source told him Truss had “a face like a slapped arse” after his interview.

You can read more of Lycett’s biggest political stunts here.