Political satire may not usually be considered in their wheelhouse, but this week Ant and Dec were given a shoutout during prime minister’s questions after the presenters referenced the alleged Downing Street Christmas party on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!
The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, cited the joke as he pressured Boris Johnson into admitting he had been aware of the Christmas party hosted at No 10 while London was under tier 3 restrictions last year. Starmer said the duo were “ahead of the prime minister on this.”
He was referencing a gag on Tuesday night’s episode, in which Ant remarked of the celebrity contestants: “They categorically deny that they had a party. And this fictional party definitely didn’t involve cheese and wine or a secret Santa.”
Dec added: “Evening, prime minister … for now.”
Political and media experts who spoke to the Guardian said the joke transcended political differences of opinion because it spoke to the prevailing view that Johnson is untrustworthy, and reflected the fact the pandemic restrictions are seen as a human issue – not just a political one.
They also warned the prime minister that, if Ant and Dec have trained their own brand of cheeky irreverence on to him, it was a good indicator that his recent controversies were resonating with the public.
“If Ant and Dec pick it up like that it’s because they feel the pulse of the country better than the politicians, and it’s what everyone’s talking about,” said Lis Howell, a professor emeritus of journalism at City, University of London and a former broadcasting executive.
She added: “Ant and Dec are universally popular and therefore very influential. They’re more damaging than any pundits. It’s the court jester who has the power to mock the king, but it’s no good mocking the king unless there’s some truth in it.”
The “evening, prime minister” refrain has punctuated a series of jibes about Johnson on the show, including describing contestants’ role as to “look increasingly dishevelled, give cushy jobs to their mates and pretty much make it up as they go along”. On Wednesday night, Ant reprised the double entendre between the celebrity contestants and the prime minister, remarking: “you can’t get way with covering things up”.
The pair’s foray into political comedy has prompted an outpouring of support on social media from viewers, who praised their candid remarks and commented on how they were an unlikely force to bring down the government.
It also represents a considerable departure from Ant and Dec’s usual comedic style and the type of jokes considered appropriate for mass entertainment shows, which are notoriously wary of offending viewers.
Matthew Flinders, a politics professor at Sheffield University, said Johnson’s role as the UK’s first “celebrity prime minister” had blurred the boundaries between politics and entertainment by “building his reputation on joking around, not taking things seriously and breaking conventions”.
The inclusion of political humour may have been a deliberate decision by I’m a Celebrity’s producers to revive slumping ratings for what is increasingly seen as an ailing format.
“Prime time entertainment shows like this tend to avoid politics because it polarises the audience and is generally dull and serious, but Boris embraces slapstick. The producers of I’m A Celebrity will have inserted the gag into Ant and Dec’s script as a tester, and it resonated immediately. The PR machine needs constant topicality and cut-through so it remains in people’s minds,” said Julian Henry, an entertainment PR expert.
Last year, I’m a Celebrity was still pulling in an average of 11 million viewers nightly, but this week ratings averaged just 5.2 million nightly, according to BARB figures. This season has been beset by problems, including cancelled episodes due to storm Arwen and the early exit of contestant Richard Madeley for a medical emergency.
While the political jokes haven’t translated into higher ratings yet, they have generated headlines in a way not seen since the show’s heyday.
Their popularity may reflect a gap in television programming for a satirical show which can keep up with social media. I’m a Celebrity is one of the few shows that films live nightly, unlike the UK’s main political satire, Have I Got News For You, which records weekly.
“News and politics travels so fast now so a lot of the jokes we were sharing yesterday aren’t the same ones we’re sharing today,” said Scott Bryan, a culture writer.
Bryan added that the fact ITV had a clip of the joke on social media “within minutes” helped it go viral. “It’s a strategy at a time when television is incredibly competitive,” he said. “As well as attracting people who’d always watch the show, they’re getting other people writing and talking about them.”
