If you saw Nadine Dorries’ “rap” on TikTok last week and thought we’d reached peak cringe, we’re afraid to say that Andrew Neil has gone one better/worse (delete as applicable).
The culture secretary raised eyebrows when she shared a clip of herself rapping about the Online Safety Bill, spitting bars like: “If companies fail to comply with the law, and fail to protect the users that they’re responsible for, the regulator Ofcom will have the power to fine, so platforms must keep people safe online.”
During Sunday night’s instalment of The Andrew Neil Show, the host played a clip of Dorries’ rap, before launching into a verse of his own.
Bopping from side to side, the 73-year-old was heard rapping:
I’m here to present The Andrew Neil Show
I’m on the mic, so get with the flow.
Top politicians here on C4, it’s just half an hour but they all want more
I ask all the questions like I just don’t care
So come on Boris, get in the chair!
And then, of course, he dropped the mic.
The clip then made its way online, with Twitter users not quite able to comprehend what they were watching:
Even Dorries herself ended up poking fun at the clip, commenting: “Nicki Minaj won’t be losing any sleep tonight.”
The Andrew Neil Show debuted on Channel 4 earlier this month, less than a year after the launch of GB News, which Neil was previously the chairman of.
Two weeks after the ill-fated broadcaster began in June 2021, Neil announced he was taking an extended break from his nightly topical show, only to wind up never returning.
He has since spoken out several times about behind-the-scenes difficulties at GB News, which was also blighted by on-air technical issues and pranks from viewers within its first few weeks of broadcasting.