Tory MP Nadine Dorries' TV presenting debut turned into a disaster as she stumbled over her lines and called her guest by the wrong name. The former culture secretary stood in for Piers Morgan on his TalkTV show, Uncensored, with the regular host currently on holiday in the USA.
After sarcastically tweeting that she was "not remotely nervous" Dorries, who resigned from the UK Government cabinet last month after Liz Truss became Prime Minister, came unstuck early on in the programme, forcing her to apologise to viewers for "messing up". Get the latest TV news from WalesOnline sent straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter.
Dorries' co-host, former Evening Standard editor Emily Sheffield, opened the show and then it was over to the MP to guide viewers through the running order. However she stumbled over her words while reading off the autocue, making it impossible to relay what she was trying to say.
Read more: Parliament security interrupts Sky News interview as Greenpeace begin protest
An embarrassed Dorries then muttered: "Sorry, I've just completely messed that up". But while her co-host encouraged her to carry on things didn't get any easier for the former cabinet minister later in the programme.
In a segment dedicated to discussing the BBC licence fee and Channel 4 she was left red-faced again as she forgot her guest's name. Speaking to author and London Business School professor Patrick Barwise she told him: "So, Richard, I have to ask you about Channel 4," with Mr Barwise having to interrupt her to correct her.
Former Holby City actor James Anderson described Dorries' broadcasting debut as "incredible car crash TV" having "stumbled across" the TalkTV programme. In a tweet he added: "In the two mins before I switched off, she got her guest's name wrong then claimed the license fee was 36 billion pounds (it's 3.8 - and she's a former culture sec)."
A clip of her shaky performance has now gone viral, being viewed more than 1.5m times, while other broadcasters have also been left unimpressed with her presenting skills. "Not as easy as you think," tweeted Gary Lineker, while radio host James O'Brien also stuck the boot in, writing: "Oh boy. I I think Nadine Dorries might actually be better at TV presenting than she is at politics."
Before taking the job Dorries, who co-hosted the programme over two nights, said she "tried to avoid TV these days". She added: "I’m not one of the MPs you find running across to the cameras on the green or in and out of TV studios. But I’m excited about TalkTV and the opportunity to do this during what could turn out to be one of the most eventful weeks we have ever known in British politics.”
Thankfully for some viewers the MP will not be returning to the show. Kate McCann and The Sun's political editor Harry Cole will front Wednesday night's programme (October 26) while Sheffield and author Douglas Murray will take up the reins on Thursday.
During her time in Boris Johnson's cabinet Dorries became renowned for the series of high-profile gaffes she made in her role as secretary of state for digital, culture, media, and sport. At an event for the Rugby League World Cup she confused the code with rugby union, telling a baffled audience that she had fond memories of Jonny Wilkinson's World Cup-winning drop goal in 2003, while she also wrongly claimed that Channel 4 was "in receipt of public money" while appearing before a select committee, completely undermining her argument that it should be privatised.
READ NEXT:
Joe Lycett and Piers Morgan mock Liz Truss after she quits as Prime Minister
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries drops a huge clanger about Channel 5
Rishi Sunak's voting record and position on issues that matter most to LGBT+ people
New Welsh secretary announced as Rishi Sunak reshuffles cabinet
Jeremy Kyle has returned to prime time TV after three years and everyone's saying the same thing
