Emmanuel Macron appeared on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show on Sunday to discuss Brexit and his relationship with US president Donald Trump.
And while the French president provided story-thirsty British political journalists with an array of headlines, perhaps most striking was the praise his all-round performance drew from usually cynical hacks.
In the head-to-head, the En Marche! leader admitted France would have probably voted to leave the European Union if it had staged a referendum on membership.
And Macron renewed his warning that the UK would not be able to get full access to the Single Market without paying in money and accepting freedom of movement on Brexit.
Yet it was Macron’s willingness to engage with Marr, ditch soundbites and speak with passion that led many political observers to reflect on why the UK has to make do with second best.
Judge for yourself and watch the full interview at the top of the story ...
... but hasn’t the UK had something similar before?