Nadine Dorries to fill in for Piers Morgan on ailing TV show
Nadine Dorries arrives at Downing Street in September 2021. (Getty/ Leon Neal)
Tory MP Nadine Dorries will be standing in for Piers Morgan on his TalkTV show next week as the Conservatives choose a new prime minister.
The former culture secretary and prominent Boris Johnson backer will be the guest host on Morgan’s show on Monday and Tuesday (24 and 25 October) alongside Emily Sheffield, the former editor of the Evening Standard.
Dorries said: “I try to avoid TV these days and 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.”
It coincides with the main thrust of the emergency Tory leadership election. Monday is the deadline for nominations, with candidates required to secure the backing of 100 MPs in order to proceed. After a behind-closed-doors hustings, MPs will vote to, if necessary, narrow the field down to two candidates.
If after the vote two candidates remain, there will be a second, indicative vote among MPs, all before Monday night. There will then be an online ballot of the party membership, if needed, to choose the next PM.
Boris Johnson is expected to run for a second term in office, with Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt also likely runners.
Dorries has been vocal in her support for Johnson, who she stuck by until the very end of his premiership.
On Twitter, she has been ferocious in her support for Johnson to return as prime minister, to the point where she has said she would rather have another general election than anyone else in Number 10.
One person was elected by the British public with a manifesto and a mandate until January ‘25.
If Liz Truss is no longer PM there can be no coronation of previously failed candidates.MPs must demand return of @BorisJohnson – if not it has to be leadership election or a GE.
— Rt Hon Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) October 20, 2022
TalkTV will be hoping that viewers tune in to see Dorries’ take on Johnson’s fortunes – ratings for TalkTV, and for Morgan’s show specifically, are in the gutter.
TalkTV tweaked its schedule last night in the hope to get more viewers.
Jeremy Kyle Live – 22,000 viewers
Piers Morgan Uncensored – 28,000 viewers.
The Talk – 28,000
First Edition (news) – 4000.Meanwhile GB News at 8pm has more than twice as many viewers than Uncensored.— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) October 11, 2022
TalkTV will also bring in Harry Cole, the Sun’s political editor, and Douglas Murray to manage the show next Thursday.
Richard Wallace, TalkTV’s head of TV, said: “It’s set to be another explosive week in British politics and this line-up of guest hosts will be able to help TalkTV viewers analyse and dissect the issues that really matter as events unfold.”
Piers Morgan has used his Uncensored show on TalkTV to debate trans rights, using loaded questions like “Are trans rights wrecking women’s rights?” to corner interviewees.
Earlier this year, the show was called out for using anti-trans dogwhistles by a protestor being interviewed by Morgan.
Well, here's a perfect example of how NOT to have a proper debate 😳@piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #piersmorganuncensored pic.twitter.com/9pmNJz4pfF— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) May 16, 2022
