Boris Johnson criticised during Channel 4 election coverage for 'banging on about book too much'

Boris Johnson was criticised during Channel 4’s election coverage for "banging on about his book too much".

Johnson was told off for holding up his memoir for the cameras and plugging it just minutes into the live programme, "America Decides: US Presidential Election".

During the broadcast on Tuesday evening (5th November) Channel 4 newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy told Johnson to “put it away” and “stop it, enough” as the former prime minister repeatedly held up his book for viewers.

Johnson said: “There’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop me… I’m allowed to plug my book… In case I failed to mention this, I am promoting my book Unleashed, and I had a talk with him [Donald Trump] about Ukraine.”

Later in the programme in response to a question, Johnson said: “The answer is obviously contained in Unleashed where you’ll find the full discussion of this subject… By the way, Emily, I’ve answered all your questions all night. Currently I am blissfully engaged promoting my book Unleashed, available in all good bookstores.”

Guru-Murthy dubbed Johnson’s actions as “so cheap” while fellow newsreader Emily Maitlis also criticised his repeated references to the book. 

Later on a new panel of election commentators was revealed as Channel 4 newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy said: “Now, here in the studio we have a largely new panel… Boris Johnson has been fired for banging on about his book too much.” However The Bookseller understands that Johnson was only booked for booked for a two-hour slot on the programme and Guru-Murthy’s comment was intended humorously. 

Unleashed was published on October 4th by William Collins backed by an "unmissable" major PR campaign.

Johnson’s first week-sales trumped that of most recent prime ministers, selling twice as many as David Cameron’s 2019 For the Record (William Collins) in its first week, though it failed to match up to Tony Blair’s A Journey (Hutchinson), however, which shifted 92,060 in its first week back in 2010.

In terms of reviews, the Telegraph called it "incomparably more readable than a standard political memoir"  while the New Statesman dubbed it “a rich and revealing exhibition of [Johnson’s] tricks and gimmicks, slips and slipperiness, attempted analogies and botched reference points”.

The Bookseller has contacted Johnson’s agent, HarperCollins and Channel 4 for comment.