Boris Johnson branded ‘so cheap’ for plugging memoir during US election coverage

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson has been told off for holding up his memoir and plugging it during a guest appearance on Channel 4’s coverage of the US election.

Just minutes into the live programme titled America Decides: US Presidential Election, co-host Krishnan Guru-Murthy told Mr Johnson to “put it away” and “stop it, enough” as he twice referenced his new book and attempted to hold it up to viewers.

Guru-Murthy described the former prime minister’s actions as “so cheap”.

Mr Johnson retorted: “There’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop me… I’m allowed to plug my book.”

The 60-year-old has been promoting his new memoir tiled Unleashed after it was released last month.

The 784-page book looks back on Mr Johnson’s time as prime minister – from 2019 to 2022 – including Brexit and the Covid pandemic.

Channel 4 newsreader Guru-Murthy is at the helm of the channel’s first overnight US election programme since 1992 alongside former Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis.

Political pundits, and a number of famous faces including Mr Johnson, will join the hosts in the Washington DC studio as the American public decides whether Democratic nominee Kamala Harris or Mr Trump becomes president.

Guests on the programme include Republican supporter and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, and Stormy Daniels, the woman at the centre of Mr Trump’s hush money trial following an affair between the two.