I hoped that if anything I ever did went viral, it would be because I’d uttered some profound insight too good not to share. Last week put paid to that dream. A BBC Breakfast video clip of myself and Sherelle Jacobs, assistant comment editor at the Telegraph, from Thursday had garnered more than 4m online views by Saturday afternoon. As much as I’d like to think it was due to my incisive Brexit analysis, I have to concede it was as a result of me being well and truly upstaged.
After a call from a BBC producer on Wednesday night, off I trundled bleary-eyed at 6.30 next morning to the green outside parliament, where all the television channels have gazebos set up. I argued that Wednesday’s indicative votes showed there was still hope of a referendum on any Brexit deal. Sherelle, as eloquent as ever, said she thought we’d see a Theresa May resignation before too long.
The first I knew anything was awry was when a friend texted me on Friday morning. “There’s a clip of you and another journo on the BBC that’s got more than a million views.” Hmmm. Were we that good?
It turns out not. Our clip had inspired a series of jokey tweets on Sherelle’s startled facial expression as I imparted my pearls of wisdom. “It’s 4am. You are on the way to the 24-hour garage for some Rizlas and two tins of Lilt. The rozzers stop you. Your mate has had loads of whizz but you are peaking on a Purple Ohm,” read one.
Sherelle has reacted to her fame with the grace of a professional. And she got a lot of love (“You ROCK!!!” one admirer tweeted). My takeaway? Those media courses that say it’s 95% how you present, 5% what you say are wrong. My partner in crime ensured 0% of what I said got heard.
• Sonia Sodha is an Observer columnist
