Charlie Brooker has revealed he based a satirical politician in an episode of ‘Black Mirror’ on Boris Johnson.
The comedian and broadcaster said Johnson was the muse for a cartoon blue bear who ran for office as the “anti-politics celebrity” in one of his shows.
The bear features in ‘The Waldo Moment’, an episode of the dark-humoured series which also imagines a fictitious prime minster having sex with a pig.
Waldo is the creation of character Jamie Salter - a failed comedian who performs the cartoon’s voice and movements.
The bear becomes a huge hit with the British public and goes on to stand in a parliamentary by-election.
One political opponent of Waldo’s quips during the episode: “If that thing is the main opposition then the whole system looks absurd.”
But speaking on Tuesday night, Brooker revealed that the now foreign secretary was his muse.
“We did a Black Mirror episode about a comedian who controls a cartoon bear who runs for office after it becomes an anti-politics celebrity,” Brooker explained on Newsnight.
“That was loosely based on Boris Johnson in a way, because he became a figure through appearing on Have I Got News For You and becoming a buffoon.”
Brooker also recently told Vulture: “He was one of the guys behind Brexit and also quite a clown.
“He appeared on comedy-panel shows here in the UK and was known as a sort of an oaf — which inoculated him from criticism, weirdly.”
Watch a trailer for the episode featuring Waldo below: