Boris Johnson’s resignation has been met with delight by many celebrities on social media.
On Thursday (7 July), Johnson announced he would step down as prime minister following a series of resignations in protest over his leadership.
He will remain in power until a successor is named, which is expected to be by the time of the Conservative Party conference in October.
His resignation speech has been roundly mocked on social media, with Derry Girls star Siobhan McSweeney writing: “THEMS THE BREAKS?!?!?”
The Have I Got News For You Twitter account, meanwhile, posted: “After Boris Johnson pays tribute to his children during his resignation speech, experts point out that if he’d listed them all he could have stayed in office until 2028.”
Singer Beverley Knight added: “Just heard Boris’s speech. Just shameless. No contrition. Not even a mention of why we the nation are in the mess we find ourselves. Those of you who voted for him, come get your boy.”
Comedian Alistair Green, meanwhile, posted a parody version of the speech.
And actor Stephen Mangan joked that he could play former chancellor Rishi Sunak in a farce about the collapse of Johnson’s cabinet.
Many other celebrities also reacted to news of Johnson’s resignation on Twitter.
Sherwood star David Morrissey wrote: “He’s gone!”
Comedian Frankie Boyle posted: “Basically a spoken word version of ‘My Way’.”
“If I may quote from my own reviews... what a s*** speech,” added comic Nish Kumar.
Actor Kerry Godliman wrote: “Google Speech Translate: I cannot believe you think I’m s***.”
This Way Up star Aisling Bea posted: “Not trying to burst the “bye-Boris-bubble”, but at the end of every season of Stranger Things, when we think the bad thing is gone & defeated, we learn he has been living inside the hearts & minds of scared children... or is secretly funded & supported by the Russian government.”
Ahead of Johnson’s speech, comedian David Baddiel had written: “I think many people will be feeling the same thing at this deeply historical moment, which is FFS do the resignation speech soon as I have to go out later this morning and I really want to sit here making fun of it.”
Kathy Burke posted a dancing GIF with the words: “Bye bye Bog Job, you f***ing clown.”
Actor Adrian Edmondson quipped: “Quitter!”
Stephen Fry reacted to the news in a threaded tweet, which began: “He’s going! Bless my soul.”
“Oh and oy and oomph, such days,” Fry wrote in another post, sharing a picture of Johnson with former US president Donald Trump at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France in 2019.
“Maybe this is the ‘colossal man date’ he keeps referring to…”
