Paxo: a trained gibbon could do my job

A large bunch of bananas is on its way to 25-year-old BBC producer Natalie Ostroff. She's made this hilarious film fronted by Jeremy Paxman called Behind the Scenes at Newsnight. It was Natalie's own idea and part of a wider BBC project aimed at getting children interested in news. Paxo's opening gambit to the young viewers sets the tone: "Hello, you probably don't know who I am, and why should you? Quite often frankly I wish I didn't know who I was too. When I was a teenager I didn't watch the news either." Paxo adds: "My own personal favourite definition is news is something someone, somewhere doesn't want you to know." Monkey's own favourite line from the film is: "This is Kirsty [Wark] interviewing Madonna in some weird circus tent she lives in." Paxo is modest about his own input though: "All I do is recite a few questions. Frankly a properly trained gibbon could do it." Eagle-eyed viewers will spot the "I Love Crap" sign on Newsnight editor Peter Barron's door and learn that Paxo and Barron's favourite way to prepare for the programme is a "large Lebanese falafel sandwich". At the end of the film Jeremy asks youngsters to "watch [Newsnight] occasionally if you get the chance - you can also watch it online and the web and that way you can skip the boring bits". Politicians, take note. Click here to watch the film