Question Time

BBC1

It was like watching a Hugh Grant romantic comedy. Okay, other than a declaration of love for Shirley Williams there was no romance in it, and the jokes weren’t laugh-out-loud funny, but other than that, Question Time was exactly like watching a Hugh Grant romantic comedy. Except it was devoted to the decidedly unromantic subject of the worst excesses of the Murdoch press.

Actually, there was a bit of romance in last night’s programme. Old David Dimbleby seemed slightly smitten by the ageing heart-throb who sat, in an open necked blue shirt, just a few feet away.

Dimbers always referred to the actor as “Hugh”, whereas all the other guests were addressed by their full names: “Shirley Williams”, “Chris Grayling” and “Idiot Face” – actually, that last one isn’t true, but it might as well have been. Jon Gaunt didn’t do himself any favours at all.

He made a particularly ill-advised comment about that incident which will probably be inscribed on Grant’s headstone (oh, you know; don’t say you’ve forgotten), but the actor simply called it “pathetic” and Gaunt ended up looking like a fool.

Grant  soon had the audience eating out of his hand. It was clear that he was the one winning all the support, and was the only one actually saying what people were thinking. He knew his facts, spoke eloquently and spoke his mind. He’s clearly a very bright fellow.

As a result Twitter appeared to have gone into meltdown. “A government run by Hugh Grant and Joanna Lumley seems like the best option we have now,” said one Tweeter. That was a typical comment, and a number of others called for the actor to be made prime minister.

He’s already done that, of course, in Love Actually. However, if he wanted his life to imitate his art, Grant would probably walk it.