Ian Hislop's Finest Moments | Have I Got News For You

After over 30 years. Ian Hislop still is not taking any prisoners.
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[@Emanon...]

If every journalist had the backbone and integrity of Hislop, the world would be a far better place.

[@katelights]

we should measure journalists by how many lawsuits they have had against them.

[@clivet3252]

He's a jowly old prat with an agenda.

[@stephenbarrette610]

Yes, I’ve been reading Private Eye for about 50 years and the world’s so crazy now. And I think we are f’edd.

[@skymanifest8339]

Yes, we need more privately educated Oxbridge graduates who work for the BBC, to fight the system.

[@krispysox]

He's inside.

[@silvershocknicktail6638]

Lembit was such a magnificent sport, probably the best they've had. When he pulled out the harmonica and even got a laugh out of Paul, that was great.

[@DirtiestDeeds]

The bloke who wants the UN to make an orbiting hard-drive recognised as a country? Give you head a wobble.

[@BenWKnowles]

@@DirtiestDeeds tbf he never said Lembit was a good politician or good at anything - just that he was a good sport, which is fair, he took his punches better than most do!

[@silvershocknicktail6638]

@@DirtiestDeeds You're not very good at conversation, are you?

[@eligoldie9626]

​@@DirtiestDeedswhere did they say his political veiws are good ????

[@sirgaymeerkat1994]

he was a good sport, i don't know where he is today or if he's working but hignfy should have him back on as a guest presenter!

[@bryanfish7303]

He's one of those people who don't get the proper credit until they are gone. A real national treasure

[@samwiseshanti]

Ian Hislop is a proper 'grubby' journalist, in the best possible way. I've never heard him make a comment about transgender people, or immigration, or even talk about his ideas for how the future could be, or anything like that. But he's got a mind like a filing cabinet of every dodgy deal your local MP has ever done, every cynical voting deal struck by every cabinet member, and every time a rich or powerful person in the country got caught breaking the law, and seemed to get off without consequences. He's the one you listen to if you want to know what's really going on in UK politics, everyone else is distracted by the nonsense.

[@skymanifest8339]

So basically, he just sticks to the safe middle-class topics and doesn't want to get ostracised from north London, Oxbridge graduate, BBC set. I guess worrying about the mass influx of wage suppressing cheap labour, criminal gangs, traffickers, and recently converted Christians who chuck acid in the faces of women and children - or care about the mutilation of children and the threat to female spaces, is just beneath him.

[@KBWRER]

Fantastic description of him, absolutely love the private eye and you can tell the guy simply does not give a f##k. He will get the truth out by any means.

[@DJ_K666]

He is also a lawyer

[@gavinedinburgh]

Agree - unafraid to speak truth to power and a mind like a razor.

[@samthemoron2]

He's like the genuine version of one of malcolm tucker's last speeches at the inquiry. He speaks against duplicity, morality and popularity at all costs in politics. And he doesn't get distracted by peripheral issues

[@repairupdaterepeat5815]

Do you think Ian finds out who's coming on and instantly remembers the private eye volume number he previously rinsed them in?

[@clothilde1623]

This isn’t nearly long enough! Fourteen minutes? There are _hours_ of the magnificent Hislop skewering anything and everything that deserves it. MORE PLEASE!

[@Ragnarok_494]

Probably because when he dies the entire political establishment will breathe such a sigh of relief that it'll be classed as a new storm by the met office

[@jaeslow6347]

Its the few times I have seen MP's held to account and it pretty much is always Have I got News For You that provides.

[@pardenwho5507]

It’s good that Paul knows the correct point to butt in and lower the tension

[@RH11THM]

It's clever how, despite seeming like the more stern of the two, Paul is the comic relief when Ian is tearing into a reprobate and the situation isn't going anywhere. They're both quality in their own right.

[@intergalactic92]

@@RH11THMit’s a good bargepole to use. You know someone is really bad when even Paul doesnt makes jokes and makes blunt comments.

[@ZuluRomeo]

The two complement each other perfectly. Sure, Paul ends up with the most points at the end of the show, but it's Ian's skewering of the cold uncaring injustices that remain long in the memory.

[@gyroscope915]

Oh, the venom in that first clip. I love it

[@jeffsimon9594]

Thanks for admitting this is all about lefty spleen-venting and not comedy

[@paulkerrigan9857]

@@jeffsimon9594lefty? Hislop is a constitutional monarchist, you muppet.

[@kieranhardy581]

​@@jeffsimon9594 so the UK were correct to go to war based on completely fabricated evidence?

[@Recessio]

@@jeffsimon9594 he's literally tearing chunks out of a left-wing politician in the first clip, you plonker

[@andymatthews191]

@@jeffsimon9594he’s having a go at former Labour MP John Prescott. 🤷‍♂️ Not sure you understand who the left is.

[@thisisanfield7085]

Hislop is a national treasure. I grew up on private eye. I used to get approving nods on the tube from adults while reading it on the way to school. Informed my view on politics. Great source of what’s really happening behind closed doors in the corridors of power.

[@sirgaymeerkat1994]

not many heroes in news media, but Ian definitely is! Paul and Ian are great together and have kept HIGNFY going all these years! fantastic.

[@jesush.tap-dancingchrist7328]

Paul hasn't been funny in years. I'm still an avid viewer but only for Ian's continued presence.

[@colinwilson7524]

Lembit Opik took his medicine well and Ian was very light on him as well given the circumstances.

[@user-rw2pm8vv4n]

Hislop is the most unassuming pitbull.

[@TEKASHI-de1qt]

2:11 I was waiting for Merton to say, "Is it a dolphin in a bathtub?"

[@ZuluRomeo]

OH MY GOD THE DAILY MAILLLLLL

[@ar4732]

Absolutely love Ian Hislop

[@samuelshoesmith]

Love Ian, love Paul and love Have I Got News For You. Watched it for years!

[@milkysue5496]

I swear, Ian and Paul are two of the best we have. And the sad thing is, only 20% of the population will know them properly. If they wern't so modest they should have statues

[@jeffsimon9594]

Funded from the licence fee of course

[@skindred1888]

Not the biggest crowd to garner, political comedy.

[@Factory051]

@@jeffsimon9594 Education should be free.

[@TheMrgaztop]

Ian Hislop. The Godfather of Journo's. And like the real Godfather, you would do well not to cross swords with him.

[@johntomasini3916]

Best show on in any media, you can learn so much and laugh your head off.

[@clivet3252]

It's lame and petty these days.

[@AH-te5gs]

If we had politicians half as decent and honourable as Ian, maybe the country/world would be a better place.

[@rivetjoint9628]

Clearly the most honest and straight forward of our political commentators.

[@razor1uk610]

Carol Vordaman is also very straight to the point and sharply scathing too.

[@clivet3252]

@@razor1uk610 Oh please.

[@nickcauser727]

@@razor1uk610 Carol Vorderman is a hypocritical moron.

[@dwdei8815]

There must surely be 14 HOURS (or 94) of best of Ian, not 14 minutes!

[@creativeartist83]

One of UKs unsung heroes 👏

[@willtricks9432]

Good show great content and excellent cast. Cheers

[@satjinder]

Prescott and mercer were annihilated 😂😂

[@mangs9940]

I love this guy!

[@voulafisentzidis8830]

Ian Hislop is great!

[@joshuaparrott2458]

He's good at holding people's feet to the fire.

[@benwrong6855]

Big up Ian, he's proper boss

[@petefrombookham]

The guy's a legend

[@belbrighton6479]

More please! I have just started buying Private Eye and it’s brilliant.

[@cerisambrook7692]

I used to read Private Eye, but the truth of its contents depressed or enraged me so much, I had to stop. I now live in ignorant bliss.

[@gillie-monger3394]

It's a brilliant 'paper' but be careful, it does take you down some frustrating rabbit holes. My wife can always tell when I've read the latest edition. She calls it my 'detox period'!

[@JohnRCWilson]

I subscribe occasionally too. I only wish it had a digital edition. Much more convenient, and easier, to read on a screen. Shame Ian says it’ll never happen.

[@Calh92]

​@@JohnRCWilsonthey have a podcast now

[@gillie-monger3394]

@@JohnRCWilson I think going the 'electronic' route opens the publication up to easy digital manipulation i.e. hacking, context mis use or plagerism etc... Also, on a personal level I prefer an actual paper edition, (it's not exactly a broadsheet is it), as I do reading an actual book.

[@jacobwheeler9330]

His last speech hits so well. It should never have been about the pig.

[@johnking5174]

You will notice when arguments between Ian and a guest or a host start to drag on and get heated, Paul tries to undercut it with a joke, because he wants the show to get on being a panel show and not a slagging match. I am usually on the side of Ian, I love it when he tears to shreds some of the guests.

[@ZuluRomeo]

Paul's ability to defuse the tension is always perfect. Decades mastering the art of improv comedy have served him well.

[@janetbayford133]

Ian Hislop for Prime Minister

[@tamingthejungleanallotment5486]

Hignfy is a great show. Its an odd one too. It's a topical news panel 'quiz' heavy on the politics, but as these clips show, it doesn't age, where other topical shows don't make sense a week after broadcast.

[@AW-sx8hm]

It does age though, half the politico's they had on have lost relevance and whatever Ian is grilling them about is lost to time.

[@steveOhh68]

15 minutes of Paul looking uncomfortable ❤

[@robertnapier624]

Ian “pull no punches” hislop.

[@Skawagon]

Ian is great, no question about that. But the Paul's "Why did you?" is just brilliant.

[@zebbaker3568]

Ian is an intergalactic treasure.

[@t2twanks]

The only show where i will not miss an episode, haven't for over 25 years

[@user-po2qb6cm9q]

I've watched it from the start in 1990 .

[@SamHarrisonMusic]

Lembit Opik (or however you spell that) was really pretty funny :)

[@jesush.tap-dancingchrist7328]

Lemsip

[@tariqmanchester]

Scored a lovely girl friend an' all.

[@davidsimpson6372]

Here's a question. Given that Ian Hislop has done an enormous service to the country with his devotion to the truth and doing what journalism is required to do (as so few journalists actually do), why has he not been offered a knighthood or a place in the House of Lords?

[@majordendrocopos]

11.17 I love the way he substitutes “Clarkson” for “penis”! Spot on.

[@lizclegg7556]

Did that go over Clarkson's head?

[@majordendrocopos]

@@lizclegg7556 I hope not!

[@LNTRNfly]

@@lizclegg7556- No, because it _is_ Clarkson’s head.

[@BarryWallace-se8lz]

No it is not spot on, people give Clarkson a undeserved hard time because they do not like his truthful outspokenness. If we had more people like Clarkson this world would be a better place.

[@BarryWallace-se8lz]

@@lizclegg7556 No it did not, it just in this particular instance Clarkson let it slide. Clarkson is a lot smarter than people give him credit for.

[@GenericGooner]

Lembit is a good sport

[@zed1207]

I might be wrong here, but I can't find any sign that Johnny Mercer's threat to sue over his £85,000 for 4 hours of work effectively paid for by a company that went bust ever resulted in a court case.

[@Gellert1984]

Pretty sure the fraud investigation found that money had changed hands, which would've scuppered any court case.

[@stonehengemaca]

Strange isn't it. He's outraged by the accusation. He claims the BBC are being sued for the outrageous claims, and yet he had not filed a law suit.. I guess the accusations he strenuously denied are all true then. Typical tory.

[@OrangeDog20]

He also left shortly after, like he said he would.

[@HiveFleetUlfang1]

So he lied. Shock.​@@OrangeDog20

[@captainweekend5276]

Timing wise, this was late 2019, basically about 6 months before the pandemic, that probably derailed any attempt to get any kind of litigation going, and by the time he would have been able to the matter had long since left the public eye and it likely wasn't worth him pursuing them.

[@johnmiller0000]

Ah, Johnny Two Jabs/Jags.

[@johnnyw525]

Johnny Mercer late stepped down from his role at Crucial Academy. Of course his Wikipedia page neatly avoids stating that.

[@user-fe1gb9uc1t]

how is this video only 14 minutes long, the show has been running for decades and IH is a national treasure

[@CricketEngland]

Would have been good if you could have put the air dates up of each clip ?

[@jeffsimon9594]

What exactly would that achieve?

[@CricketEngland]

@@jeffsimon959434 thumbs up and the knowledge of when the episode was filmed

[@jeffsimon9594]

@@CricketEngland Only raving OCD nerds actually require that kind of useless info though

[@CricketEngland]

@@jeffsimon9594 28 thumbs up says otherwise

[@ewan7283]

You could just look it up yourself

[@Truffle_Pup]

Fun Fact: John Prescott turned down the role of Jabba the Hutt a total of 6 times before George Lucas decided to just go ahead with fully prosthetic puppeteer animation, but they kept Prescott's voice.

[@TheHandsomeman]

When they say they are going to change something for the better, the opposite happens.

[@gyroscope915]

" We made a mistake" Oh is that what we are calling it. We might have different ideas of what a mistake is. Bit more then a mistake when people die

[@jestermoon]

Limbic is fantastic 👏 🎉

[@LANCSKID]

Who?

[@stephaniewaters1777]

Is there a current season?

[@muoian]

When is the series coming back on ??

[@JJONNYREPP]

Ian Hislop's Finest Moments | Have I Got News For You. 27.2.24. I was watching derry girls, for some reason. A show everyone has watched but me...this is kinda similar...

[@TEKASHI-de1qt]

You didn't own up to it publicly, you were *_revealed as doing it_* 😂😭

[@MeldersJnr]

Ian 'The Hammer' Hislop .... lol

[@lizclegg7556]

I thought Paula Yates and Mary Archer would be in this compilation. There's plenty more Hislop material.

[@ZuluRomeo]

To be fair, in hindsight the Paula Yates thing was not Ian's finest hour.

[@LiveDonkeyDeadLion]

That Johnny Mercer clip, does anyone know the outcome of him suing the BBC? I can only find articles saying he is going to do it, but nothing else. I did find that he had to pay back expenses he had claimed

[@thomasdalton1508]

The story doesn't seem to have had any significant coverage after it broke a few days before this aired in 2019. I take it from that that no legal action was ever taken. I've checked Companies House and the company he was a director of went into liquidation in 2021 having lost about £400,000, so the claims about generating lots of money by placing veterans in well-paid FTSE 100 jobs were, at best, aspirational. The money they lost came from their holding company, which went into liquidation at the same time. It isn't clear where the holding company got the money from - the accounts show them having debts of more than a million pounds that disappeared from one year to the next, which I would guess was a loan from Surge (the firm that was involved with the firm that went bust) that got forgiven when it became clear it was never going to be paid back. It seems he was quite far removed from the misselling scandal, but the money he received does seem to have come indirectly from the scandal, as Ian claimed. The business he was involved in was a complete flop that lasted all of three years and never made any money.

[@_Ben4810]

Johnny Mercer...He released a statement tonight regarding the unexploded WW2 bomb found in his Plymouth constituency...It was this toe-curlingly excruciating Thank You declaration to all those who bravely served during this military-led operation, & dramatically listed every dept involved incl. er...Mountain Rescue...in Plymouth...?!? He remains such a military-grovelling drama queen.

[@thomasdalton1508]

@@_Ben4810 You mean his tweet? It was a pretty standard thank you from a constituency MP. Any MP would have said pretty much exactly the same thing. Why shouldn't everyone involved be included in the thank you? I really don't see what you object to in that tweet. He may be a military-grovelling drama queen, but that tweet is not part of that.

[@LiveDonkeyDeadLion]

@@_Ben4810 not defending him in any way, but mountain rescue would have been involved in helping with the evacuation, knocking doors etc. I was involved in a very loose way with a similar event in Scotland and mountain rescue played a part

[@Philosoph-ali]

Thank you for your service guys

[@no-oneman.4140]

This country desperately needs like minded Ian Hislops to start their own party and rid us all of the worst parliament I've ever witnessed.

[@dannycheesums]

What was the outcome of the Mercer stuff?

[@johnoldfield2390]

The captions don't name the proper nouns twice or three times?

[@criticsatlarge0073]

Loved when Hislop took the piss out of Boris Johnson and Piers Moron.

[@chrisbailey2098]

David Cameron has done it

[@ZuluRomeo]

Lemsip Opec gave as good as he got.

[@billgreen576]

You could've taken that offer from bully boy Prescott. There is no way the tub of lard would've made the weigh in.

[@HenryPage]

Did you see it when John Prescott had that scrap with the man in the street after he attacked him?

[@user-po2qb6cm9q]

Prescott swimming in treacle there

[@krispysox]

yeah, comments deleted.

[@johnconlon9652]

Saw this young bloke (then) in the 90s, at the Grapes Pub, Limehouse. Self-effacing might be an appropriate adjective. Ex-Private Eye reader ... it became too depressing.

[@bendaniel2271]

Jonny Mercer said "liable" when he should have said "libel"

[@norcatch]

I think it took balls for prezza to go on HIGNFY. He did well.

[@StrangerInAustralia]

This is just a few clips previously posted on KZbin. Judging by the varying quality, they were just downloaded from KZbin and merged together.

[@stablefairy9437]

am assuming these clips were put together by Hat Trick who own the rights to HIGNFY. maybe their intern put it together.

[@paulbromley6687]

That is the reason for the longevity of HIGNFY, it’s almost parliamentary in its banter and scrutiny. So necessary now more up than ever. Just ask yourself who is the new Hislop or Merton when they eventually retire or go to wherever masters of scrutiny and revealers of mendacity have gone.

[@mr.d.8121]

When Prescott was an MP he invoiced expenses for £1,000 without a receipt. Anything over £500 needs receipts. His expenses were declined. 3 days later he claimed several expenses, each under £500, totalling £1, 000. His claims were approved.........🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@petesmart1983]

Mercer was the same claimed thousands to pay to employ his wife and 5 apple imacs in 2015 and thousands on other things there all dodgy as hell

[@jokedejojo]

What did happen with the army bloke and the accounting scandal?

[@petesmart1983]

Eventually got fired , his company was found to be giving money for he quit the charity. Also had to pay thousands back in expenses claims but recently brought back by rishi

[@jokedejojo]

Nice one, cheers@@petesmart1983

[@johnharvey848]

Poor old Prescott. He's a bit of a thicko.

[@Yankee7000]

The Johnny Mercer accusations were not proven to be true, I take it… he is still an elected MP.

[@petesmart1983]

They were that why within months he left the company which led you him being removed from government he only got brought back by rishi. Also had to pay back thousands in expenses but still allowed to use them to pay his wife as a employee. Also tried to block investigation of hundreds of civilians murdered by British troops in the middle east

[@Yankee7000]

@@petesmart1983 according to his written and verbal statements to the inquiry committee he was clearly mislead into making statements about the extra judicial killings. As per Wikipedia: Mercer gave oral evidence to the Afghan Unlawful Killings inquiry on 21 February 2024. Mercer had in January 2020 described, as a government minister to the House of Commons, allegations in the media of extrajudicial killings by UK Special Forces in the War in Afghanistan as untrue. This statement had been based on briefings within the Ministry of Defence, which Mercer said he subsequently discovered to be incorrect. Mercer told the inquiry he was angry that the Director Special Forces, the Chief of the General Staff and the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had "not done their job that was incumbent upon them with their rank and privileges in those organisations" in allowing him to make statements to the Commons which they knew to be untrue. As far as expenses he paid back 931 British pounds, not the thousands you claim. His wiki has that information all referenced. Please correct it to reflect all your claims so that the people know what you claim to be true. Can’t allow Wikipedia to get away with it.

[@captainweekend5276]

@@petesmart1983 Wrong, he was reelected in the 2019 elections, and wasn't sacked until 2021 over an entirely different issue. He also wasn't forced to pay back "thousands", he paid back £931.20 for incorrect claims. He was called up for buying iMacs rather than "cheaper equivalents" but that was dropped when he revealed they were cheaper than the desktops offered by the house of commons official supplier. There's also no evidence he tried to block the unlawful killings inquiry.

[@lizcollinson2692]

He's right why is scandalous ridicule that sees them off not thier actually policy or lack of it.

[@deno909]

Prescott is a absolute tool

[@PeteViking]

When HIGNFY had some life in it.

[@colinbaker3916]

No politician, and certainly no Tory appears now. Going on HIGNFY would be far more of an ordeal than Question Time.

[@StuartMiles74]

Johnny is clearly someone who’s a fan of England Rugby.

[@LANCSKID]

… and of himself.

[@petesmart1983]

And civilians being killed by British army

[@LANCSKID]

@@petesmart1983 Yes, his arrogance is insufferable.

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

4:46 - sexiest politician ever. he's so hot.

[@johnoldfield2390]

Whats perjury?

[@LordSvzklx]

Lying in court, basically

[@johnroche6333]

Did he sue the BBC?

[@AW-sx8hm]

The interactions are fun but I never know half these people so some of the context is a leeeedle bitty missing.

[@billybob-bm4mn]

That says more about you. You are just out of touch. I know them all.

[@AW-sx8hm]

@@billybob-bm4mn good job billy bob. Ofcourse I'm out of touch with some has-been who lost the meager relevance they had a decade ago in a scandal nobody cares about anymore. I'm out of touch because the segment is dated.

[@brianbell3836]

Ian Hislop is not always right. Nor is he always funny.

[@stephenburke7612]

I’d like to know when the Russian repot is coming out that’s been covered up why

[@liamhegarty3220]

Ian Hislop is a fecking legend.

[@dannydanny2093]

So did Johnny Mercer sue the BBC?

[@kieranhardy581]

I don't think so. His lawyer probably told him to shut up about it.

[@petesmart1983]

Nope he quit within a month after his company was found accepting money

[@johnlanham4050]

Finest moments after what he and Merton did to Angus Deyton. After that he has no finest moments as far as I know.

[@Elitist20]

Why does any politician ever go on this show? 🙄

[@MatthewXLY]

Worked out fine for Borris, didn't it?

[@lizcollinson2692]

All publicity is good publicity ... Doesn't work for everyone but when it does you get to be PM.

[@DrewSavo]

Because the only other forum where Ian could meet them to talk is Question Time, and if they raise voices and swear there then the presenter shuts them both down. Here, they can at lea argue like civilised people.

[@deanjames2476]

Well done to Mr mercer for telling us just what lowlife partywhips are and how the party leaders will go to get people to vote for what they want

[@LANCSKID]

@@DrewSavo Fiona on QT loves a bit of effing and jeffing.

[@MarkusMaximus2000]

Left out the bullying of Paula Yates then.

[@LANCSKID]

Oh, the ‘Spawn of the Devil’ crap, you mean?

[@Rhianalanthula]

Sperms of the Devil! It all started out with Paul asking about her boob job. She'd just brought out a book about it. It was included on the first dvd they released.

[@andishawjfac]

Trying to arrange a fight between Hislop and Prescott isn't very smart, Paul didn't think that one through

[@mitchdaytonam3]

Ian has slaughtered everyone, however Johnny Mercer actually came away looking very good.

[@petesmart1983]

He didn't he quit the role with a few months proving hislop right

[@captainweekend5276]

@@petesmart1983 Nope, because Hislop was saying that he knew, Mercer said he didn't know and would resign if it was true, he then later resigned when it was found out to be true. It didn't prove Ian right, but it proved Mercer would stick to his word that he would have quit if he knew, so it proved Ian was wrong. It's not surprising either, the audience were even on Mercer's side, you can hear how they quickly cut the audience laughter when Mercer called out Ian's hypocrisy. The reason it was so awkward was because it's one of the few times Ian was in the wrong and everyone but Ian knew it and was on Mercer's side.

[@dickdiver9614]

​@@captainweekend5276Says the Captain 😂

[@jesush.tap-dancingchrist7328]

Is that what ended the ancient greek civilisation? The invention of satire.

[@geoffjones4285]

if Ian Heslop is grubby what kind of state is this country in with the 25 years of the Post Office scandal to be answered for successive governments part in the cover-up

[@johnharvey848]

Prescott is a fool but is too dense to realise it.

[@seanmoran2743]

Alistair Campbell one of the most dangerous players in politics over the last decades He’s accuses about Iraq are pathetic beyond belief

[@RobK32]

He should be in the Hague

[@questionmaker5666]

@@RobK32 As should Bush. Blair, Putin, Assad and Saddam Hussain.

[@johnmartinez7440]

What?

[@skymanifest8339]

We need more privately educated Oxbridge graduates who work for the BBC, to challenge the system.

[@johnmartinez7440]

You already wrote that. It's not as witty as you thought.