HIGNFY X - S45 EP2 Brian Blessed, Ken Livingstone & Bridget Christie

Have I Got News for You Series 45 Episode 2
12 April 2013

[@oliverholmes-gunning5372]

Brian Blessed should present every programme ever.

[@oliverholmes-gunning5372]

@Aslan T Vorlon 😂😂😂 I would give a hell of a lot to see that happen

[@juliehughes1258]

No.

[@bobbyshaddoe3004]

Im still waiting for the BBC to book him for Just a Minute, i csn imagine his booming voice going DEVIATION!

[@oliverholmes-gunning5372]

@@bobbyshaddoe3004 they really need to have him on while he's still alive, that would be epic!

[@bobbyshaddoe3004]

@@oliverholmes-gunning5372 indeed

[@Phaota]

Love Brian and his craziness. He had me in tears of laughter so much in this episode.

[@tenkloosterherman]

Brian is one of the best guest hosts ever. Had me in stitches the whole episode.

[@isabellaangeline2175]

My absolute favorite.

[@50zcarsman]

FUN FACT: A 90-y.o. British lady aristocrat was supposed to be on Ian's team this episode -- she'd been on the show before, and had been warmly received -- but she'd been a close friend of Thatcher's and, when it became clear to her in the minutes immediately preceding the taping that they intended to basically roast dear ol' Maggie repeatedly on camera, the player-dame bowed out in a huff and went home. The producer's staff made a series of frantic phone calls, and the ONLY person with any name recognition they could get to come down to the studio within 30 minutes was Ken Livingstone! He showed up with just a few minutes to spare; the makeup artist was still working on him up to the moment before the opening sequence played. The alternative would have been either for one of the production staff to sit in, or to solicit a volunteer from the studio audience! They didn't feel they could get away with substituting a literal TUB OF LARD for the missing guest, as they'd done in the case of a more self-important no-show MP some time earlier. Ian Hislop recalls this event in capsule form on-air during another episode.

[@brettb9194]

very interesting - it explains the expression on Bridget Christie's face (she seems slightly scandalized for the first 15 minutes)

[@RIXRADvidz]

that would be the Baroness Trumpington, she pulled out at 730pm for an 8pm record, Livingstone was literally in the neighborhood, so he filled in. it's a great story in Brit Telly History.

[@lilymarinovic1644]

Glad they could get Ken, but I seem to recall them having a handbag stand in for another guest on one episode so I'm sure they could have found something appropriate and amusing.

[@isabellaangeline2175]

@@RIXRADvidz Very fitting that she had “Trump” as part of her name. It’s hard to believe that Thatcher and her cold dead heart were capable of being friends with anyone.

[@TheJonathanNewton]

Ken Livingstone was such an obvious choice - they sure got lucky there!

[@MrRobKS]

I live in the USA I absolutely love this show Brian Blessed is Fantastic. Also loved the William Shatner episode as well

[@merlapittman5034]

I love, love, LOVE Brian Blessed! As I've said before, he's an international treasure!

[@reaper215]

Brian Blessed as a commentator for golf......let's get the petition started.

[@TheJonathanNewton]

I noticed that the sound people have learned one thing or another since his first appearance on the show... 😁😁

[@davenorth8922]

This Blessed guy is as funny as it gets!

[@GeoffLilley]

Brian Blessed has two volume settings - loud, and FUCK MY EARS HURT!

[@andrewwilliams9599]

I think the NHS should hire Brian Blessed to shout at the Coronavirus until it gets scared and runs away.

[@JnEricsonx]

Can we borrow him in America then, PLEASE?

[@ShannonCarter55]

@@JnEricsonx we'll take him in Australia. He can shout at the premiers.

[@JnEricsonx]

@@ShannonCarter55 Ok, he can go there first, he'd probably film a documentary about him trying to hike the length of the continent or something. THEN he comes to America. Plus I got to see Flash Gordon in a theater 2 months ago so I'm happy.

[@synthonaplinth5980]

'...their mother, Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a strike this morning.' Hahahahahahaha!!!

[@BadWebDiver]

Very ironic considering her stance on trade unions. Bit of a Freudian slip there, I think...

[@synthonaplinth5980]

@@BadWebDiver Spot on.

[@rabidbigdog]

I'd never seen this, that is amazing.

[@chazdevlin6160]

When Brian's about EVERYONE wins. Blessed for P.M!

[@fisherking7798]

He can't be worse than the idiot you've got now

[@thesandwich5321]

Tell me about it... how the fuck did we end up with BORIS?!

[@ShannonCarter55]

@@thesandwich5321 because no one planned for actual Brexit to take place.

[@ToolsAreToys]

Never heard of Bridget Christie before. She is very witty.

[@philipbrucecaddick6235]

She really should have won the game, the scoring is also funny.

[@BadWebDiver]

She looks like a cat here.

[@Bareego]

She was so good. Some of her stuff went over the others' heads as well. When she was impersonating the speech pattern of Thatcher, nobody seemed to notice. Boooh. I thought she was the most intelligent and witty person of the lot.

[@EmmaBReyes]

Brian Blessed is amazing,love the man.

[@onecalledchuck1664]

This, and the episode Tom Baker hosted are my favorites. ❤

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks so much for posting.

[@JnEricsonx]

13:40 I got up and fucking CHEERED!

[@paul1x1]

Man is amazing in Texas he’d have a statue right beside jim Bowie’s

[@JnEricsonx]

13:43-if you don't cheer hearing that line, I dunno what to tell you.

[@vicsadie7778]

Love Brian, and he's quite mad.

[@bjornjusonius7395]

So, when ARE they going to make "BRIAN Say's, who wants a fight!?", I'd certainly watch that.

[@bjornjusonius7395]

@Aslan T Vorlon Yeah, but that was just some friendly sparring, the premise of this show would be more like "BRIAN BLESSED beats up arseholes for your entertainment".

[@JnEricsonx]

Bring him to America, the lineup I'd give him would keep him busy for a week.

[@malahammer]

Brian Blessed loves being Brian Blessed :)

[@andrewwilliams9599]

I nominate Brian Blessed for Noah.

[@JnEricsonx]

Kenneth Branagh wanted him for Odin.

[@RIXRADvidz]

I click for the NOISE!!! it's BRIAN FUCKING BLESSED!!!!! I FUCKKINGG LOVE BRIAN BLESSED!!!! He's why I clicked as do others and then they bitch about the video, no matter what hate they shit into the comments, the video view still goes Up. good job.

[@michasvendsen5604]

I love Brian Blessed. He´s simply fantastic…. The perfect comedy duo would be Brian Blessed & Boris Johnson

[@lewa3910]

Brian is Awesome!

[@deadmanwithpitchforkarms8376]

18:27 holy shit that killed me

[@Alcagaur1]

And on July 11, 2021, Richard Branson validated the joke at 39:04.

[@RIXRADvidz]

00:45 FREEZE FRAME....it's Fizgig from the og Dark Crystal

[@Phaota]

LOL You're right. Hilarious.

[@dmbindallas]

If I could have Brian Blessed yell don’t let the bastards grind you down constantly

[@solaniamorgansteign]

and now due to lock down and just being left alone, pandas are fucking again

[@londonlady227]

And the late Queen didnt go up on the 4th plinth.

[@k.a.u.4599]

If there was ever an episode that didn't need the aspect ratio like this... 😂

[@jeffjacobson59]

The most interesting man in the world!

[@GeoffLilley]

16:53 WHAT A LOAD OF BOLLOCKS!!!!

[@mogshade66]

The king is probably dead. Long live the king 💚

[@PokerJoker811]

April 10, 2013 4 (April) + 1 + 0 (10th) + 1 + 3 (of '13, just as they did for '12) = 9

[@tomcross3000]

Bring him back!!

[@moif_velocita]

He's 87 years old now...

[@tomcross3000]

@@moif_velocita they're still letting biden n trump do things, so your point?

[@markbengston5985]

Which episode of Fawlty Towers is Brian talking about at 34:15?

[@ritz2467]

The one where the staff were desperately trying to hide a dead guest

[@flaggerify]

Not as funny as his other appearance.

[@brettb9194]

agreed - but it's fun to have him on every five years or so for a bit of mayhem

[@kidmohair8151]

Brian Blessed, lovely as he is, is exhausting

[@RonPiggott]

Mayday mayday mayday. Emergency on the set of 'Have I Got News For You'. Host has leg cramp.

[@50zcarsman]

Jesus, Brian B. was really chewing up the scenery on this one. He's clearly in for either a stint in the madhouse or a stroke. Or both.

[@isabellaangeline2175]

18:23 Weird, that’s exactly how Trump’s human centipede cultists behave with him.

[@fisherking7798]

What a load of bollocks 😁

[@karry299]

Ah, Thatcher, the last worthy British PM. After her it's all downhill.

[@isabellaangeline2175]

She was human garbage.

[@HDbacon]

Maybe N.Korea...they made covid19...19...2019...hmmmmmmmmmmm lolol

[@jimclark1374]

Brian Blessed gets really tedious after a while. Give the panellists a chance.

[@DaSkonk]

Nah, he's hilarious and a national treasure - you, on the other hand, are most definitely 'really tedious'!

[@juliehughes1258]

Well, that was an insane 42 minutes. Who the FUCK is this Brian Blessing? I saw fear at several points in Bridget Christie's eyes. Can't understand the love for this guy AT ALL.

[@brettb9194]

she did look a little out of her element didn't she?

[@h0lly_blue]

checking in after five years to ask if you've figured out who he is yet

[@juliehughes1258]

@@h0lly_blue I think he is an English stage actor who is used to projecting his voice to the cheap seats. I still don’t see the appeal though!

[@FawleyJude]

And I thought only American comedy shows relied heavily on canned laughter.

[@RIXRADvidz]

Canned Laughter is a staple of Television Production the World over. it's always going to be there to annoy you

[@rabidbigdog]

Isn't it recorded with an audience?

[@FawleyJude]

@@rabidbigdog To me, the laughter rises up and dies down too fast for an audience, plus it's too much the same, every joke gets exactly the same burst of thick laughter.

[@NDRonin1401]

Annoying one trick pony

[@synthonaplinth5980]

You're absolutely right, let's get Rick Astley to host the next one.

[@DaSkonk]

Clown!

[@jonathaneffemey4892]

Thanks so much for posting.