Nadine Dorries was the unexpected – but predictable – comedy gold of the election night

As predicted, the Tories didn’t have a good night. Least of all, former culture minister Nadine Dorries – who shit the bed live on Channel 4. For long-suffering general election all-nighters, it was proper comedy gold.

Not once, not twice, too many times to count, the Boris Johnson groupie gaffed on air. Fact checkers weep.

Thankfully, Channel 4’s Emily Maitlis and Krishnan Guru-Murphy were on the case.

Nadine Dorries in general election gaffe night glory

Maitlis and co-presenter Guru-Murphy and former New Labour spokesman (turned alleged war criminal) Alastair Campbell hosted the Channel 4 News election results special.

The three quizzed MPs throughout the course of the night, including Harriet Harman and Kwasi Kwarteng. However, the indisputable highlights of the evening came from a repeatedly blundering Nadine Dorries.

In one scene, Dorries claimed the reason the for the Tories election wipe-out to Reform was Sunak dropping a bunch of the party’s policies. Maitlis corrected her her on one glaring error over Sunak and the Windsor Framework. In particular, contrary to her garble about him ditching it, it was in fact his policy:

Nadine Dorries, “The reason Tory votes went to Reform is because Rishi Sunak dropped policies, like what we did after Brexit, the Windsor framework agreement, levelling up.. Those policies were dropped by Rishi”

Emily Maitlis, “Well no, the Windsor framework was actually Rishi… pic.twitter.com/jLnLdAGenM

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) July 4, 2024

Then, in another part of the Nadine Dorries election gaffe-fest, she called out Campbell over Tony Blair’s resignation honours list. Only, he didn’t have one:

Alastair Campbell, “The House of Lords is an abonimation… I would love to have reform of the place.. To get anything done.. Liz Truss had a resignation honours list.. Sunak is going to get one.. Johnson had one”

Nadine Dorries, “Tony Blair had one”

AC, “He didn’t have one”… pic.twitter.com/2OOUb2JFjK

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) July 4, 2024

And on that note, people commented on the absolute gift that was Dorries’ fellow interviewee Harriet Harman, being there in the studio alongside her. The long-time Labour MP made it into Keir Starmer’s crony honors catalogue. Needless to say, Dorries did not:

Seeing Harriet Harman being announced as a Baroness to go into the House of Lords whilst Nadine Dorries sits two doors down was fucking gold lol 😂

#GeneralElection2024 #C4BritainDecides pic.twitter.com/HMrlGt4IgV

— David Ghosh (@MrInclusive) July 4, 2024

Blushing and blundering over Boris Johnson

“One of the reasons why your party has lost so badly tonight is because you keep defending a liar” – Alastair Campbell clashes with Nadine Dorries again on #C4BritainDecides. #GeneralElection2024. pic.twitter.com/tUJF0mwn6W

— Channel 4 (@Channel4) July 4, 2024

Playing up the tension between Campbell and Nadine Dorries, Maitlis threw down the gauntlet. Who would get a text first from their former prime minister pals? Following this, Dorries, looking distinctly flustered, confessed to panel he’d messaged her. Unfortunately, the British public can only speculate at what it said, because a coy Dorries was keeping tight-lipped about it:

Boris has texted Nadine Dorries on Channel 4, but she won’t say what he texted her pic.twitter.com/7szd60Lm8e

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 4, 2024

Giddy school-girl vibes palpable, Campbell told the Boris idoliser to “get over Boris Johnson”:

Unquestionably the highlight of the night so far@campbellclaret owning Nadine Dorries pic.twitter.com/e2BrPola5O

— Andy Jolley (@ajjolley) July 4, 2024

Predictably, Dorries was NOT happy, but people on X were gleeful at Campbell saying what everyone has been thinking:

Nadine Dorries when she’s told to get over Boris #C4BritainDecides#GeneralElection2024

pic.twitter.com/v13NBoYtvW

— Carrie🌻 (@FirstLadyNot) July 4, 2024

And it all only got better from there. If the Tory panellists thought the Boris Johnson questions were tough, Guru-Murphy reminded them that they hadn’t even got onto Liz Truss:

This will go down as my favourite exchange of the evening. Artists will be making cartoon sketches of this moment for many years to come:

Nadine Dorries, “Keir Starmer is no Tony Blair.. It is a disaster for us”

Krishnan Guru-Murthy, “The rot started with Boris Johnson”…

— Matt Daniel (@mattdaniel01) July 5, 2024

Hit the road jackasses, and don’t you come back

Back to Boris, (because of course), and Maitlis this time pressed Nadine Dorries on whether the former prime minister might return to the fold. Gloriously delicious scenes ensued:

absolute scenes on channel 4 pic.twitter.com/W4gEl0EfC2

— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) July 4, 2024

Deer in the headlights, Dorries deflected, saying that her missives with Johnson contained only high-brow dissection of the election results (sure they did).

The icing on the cake came when – after too many probing Boris questions – both Dorries and Kwarteng high-tailed from the studio:

I’m told that Nadine and Kwasi were booked to 3am but left at the last ad break. Just walked.

— Mike Holden (@MikeHolden42) July 4, 2024

Like the Tories rapidly scooting out from parliament this election, good riddance, we’d say!

Feature image via Channel 4 – X