Toby Young Toby Young

Status Anxiety | 15 November 2008

Was my decision to appear on Have I Got News for You a colossal error of judgment?

issue 15 November 2008

‘Wow, that’s brave,’ said John Kampfner, the former editor of the New Statesman. ‘I’d never do that.’ I had just told him I’d agreed to be on Have I Got News for You and, as soon as he said this, I began to have second thoughts.

‘Oh Christ. D’you think I’ve made a terrible mistake?’

‘It depends how quick-witted you are,’ he said.

He was right — and the truth is I’m not that quick on my feet. For instance, when I appeared on Question Time in 2005 I had to field one of those dreadful ‘funny’ questions at the end and completely fluffed it. The exchange went like this:

Audience member: If the two contenders for the Tory leadership were animals, what animals would they be?

David Dimbleby: OK, have we got any wits on the panel? Who’s got a quick answer? Toby Young?

Me: Er, two velociraptors disguised as teddy bears?

I have not been asked back since.

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