As if Labour’s core support in its northern heartlands wasn’t precarious enough, its leader has just insulted the two most famous and best loved Geordies ever to walk this merry earth.
In the most chilling moment of his career to date, Jeremy Corbyn shrugged his shoulders when presented with a photograph – so full of innocent cheer, yet to be dashed – of the perpetually chirpy duo of TV presenters, Ant and Dec.
During a hustings in which he was up against his leadership challenger, Owen Smith, the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire presented the Labour leader with this picture:
“Jeremy Corbyn, do you know who these two men are, and which one is which?”
When shown the picture of the two relentlessly well-known, National Treasure-status, grinning faces, Corbyn looked pensive and mildly amused.
“I’ll give you a clue,” Derbyshire dived in to fill the mortified silence as a nation held its breath in abject shock. “They’re Geordie TV presenters.”
“I cannot name them, I’m really sorry,” Corbyn concluded, after a bit of half-hearted prevaricating.
“You don’t…? No idea?” spluttered Derbyshire, echoing Britain’s collective fear and confusion at this harrowing news.
Video: Guido
Does this mean Corbyn has never watched any Saturday night television? Ever? Or basically any entertainment show ever? Britain’s Got Talent? I’m a Celebrity? Not even Pop Idol, the ultimate king of the music talent contests? Did he never get ready to rhumble at a disco in the Nineties? Did he never glance at the TV when his son was watching SMTV Live or CD:UK as a little boy? WAIT! DID HIS SON NOT WATCH SMTV Live or CD:UK AS A LITTLE BOY?!
Your mole believes this tweet tells the whole sorry story very well:
SATURDAY NIGHT AT CORBYN’S HOUSE
6 PM – Vintage BBC2 footage of TUC conference 1978
1 AM – Bed#LabourLeadership https://t.co/knDbdL36NQ— Rae Earl (@RaeEarl) August 17, 2016
The irony is that Ant and Dec have openly spoken about supporting Labour in the past. If only we could get them an entertainment show on Russia Today, perhaps Corbyn would have more of a clue. Tsars In Their Eyes?