Tory MP says Have I Got News For You 'too vicious' for female guests
2 min read
A Tory MP has said BBC satire show Have I Got News For You is “too vicious” for female guests.
Nadine Dorries said she had refused to appear on the panel show since her first appearance in 2012 because it does “not lend itself to women feeling comfortable”.
The news quiz, which has been running since 1990 and features Ian Hislop and Paul Merton as team captains, has a rotation of presenting guests after former host Angus Deayton was sacked for a risky joke.
But the Mid Bedfordshire MP said she had refused offers to appear, telling the BBC: "I just don't think Have I Got News For You is a programme which lends itself to women feeling comfortable. I find it too vicious.”
She added: "I know people like that. That's why they love the programme - it's so successful. I just find it too vicious, too abrasive.
"It's all about banter - women don't banter in that way, or very rarely. You might get the odd woman who would, but most women don't banter in that way, don't have that degree of aggression."
The former I’m A Celebrity contestant said politicians were normally invited after a controversy and "the only reason they're asking you is to shred you".
"And why would you put yourself up for that? Whereas, men don't seem to mind being shredded most of the time," she added.
Ms Dorries said she will only appear on political shows where "the debate is fair and the host is fair and it's not just for someone to score points off you by belittling you".
Her comments came after Mr Hislop and Mr Merton told the Radio Times the show struggled to find more female politicians who wanted to appear.
Labour former deputy leader Margaret Beckett said she had also turned down requests to appear on the show.
"Being that kind of funny - I don't think it's my skill set,” she told the BBC.
“They can be very nice to people, but basically they eat people alive who think they can compete, and I know I can't compete."
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss took to Twitter to suggest she had no intention of appearing on the show.
Boris Johnson, Ed Balls, Nick Clegg, John Prescott and William Hague are among those who have hosted the show over the years.
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