Sitting in darkness in the BBC’s Millbank studio, he looked ridiculous. Hesitant and lacking a point – Michael White quite simply wiped the floor with him. You bit off more than you could chew there, Mr Fawkes – and damaged your reputation in the process.
Watch out Paxman and White though, I’m sure hell hath no fury like a Guido scorned.
Still – braver than me. In the unlikely event that I’m ever asked on Newsnight I shall whimper “mummy!” and flee to safety.
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3 Comments
I’d say the BBC came out of it as feebly as Mr Staines – whose idea was it to agree to his demand to be shot in silhouette? He must have thought it was very funny to have 17th-Century terrorist ‘Guido Fawkes’ blanked out like a 1980s IRA man, and well done to him for putting one over on the BBC. I can’t imagine why they fell for it, though; I’m sure they wouldn’t let any other commentator disguise themselves, and Mr Paxman looked thoroughly irked by the whole business. Thank goodness for Mr White casually naming his interlocutor on air anyway, refusing to play his game and showing the whole thing up for the farce it was.
In other company Michael White would have come across as an arrogant bully, but it’s difficult to picture Mr Paxman or Mr Staines as shrinking violets who can’t look after themselves. With Mr Staines having won ‘round one’ by getting the BBC to agree his preposterous set-up, it was hilarious to see him sliced to ribbons by Mr White. Gosh, who’d have thought he’d be so helpless against someone who could answer back? I’ve had a couple of humiliatingly ‘rabbit caught in headlights’ interviews myself, but fortunately with fewer people watching and less of a reputation to lose…
Apparently the “shadows” bit was the Newsnight producer’s idea.
Yes, I’d like to hear that confirmed from Newsnight if it is the case, as Paxo made out it was Guido’s idea.