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Politics
Sinead Butler
Jul 07, 2022
Benny Hill theme tune blared out on College Green
BBC News
It's been a tumultuous week in British politics, and nothing depicts the political circus best than Benny Hill theme music being blasted in Westminister as it all unfolds.
Saxophone hit "Yakety Sax" by Boots Randolph played while the media awaited for prime minister Boris Johnson to resign, after more than59 MPs have quit their government jobs in the last few days.
Some high-profile resignations include the now-former chancellor Rishi Sunak and former health secretary, Sajid Javid, after Johnson apologised for how he handled the Chris Pincher scandal.
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Even new replacements are telling Johnson to go such as Nadim Zahawi as the new chancellor urged in a public letter, and Michelle Donlan who was appointed as the new education secretary has quit just two days into the job.
As resignations continue to roll in and Johnson's time draws to an end, the soundtrack to this historic moment is the Benny Hill theme tune - a quintessentially British response to a political crisis.
\u201cThings getting VERY SURREAL on College Green \ud83d\udc40\u201d— Fiona Stalker (@Fiona Stalker) 1657189678
The music was so loud in fact that it could be heard while a Tory MP Chris Philp was being interviewed on Sky News.
\u201cINCREDIBLE SCENES\n\n\u201cTHE BENNY HILL THEME TUNE\u201d IS BEING BLASTED OUT ON SKY NEWS.\u201d— Scott Bryan (@Scott Bryan) 1657190048
\u201c@scottygb\u201d— Scott Bryan (@Scott Bryan) 1657189788
\u201cSerious conversation at Westminster and someone is playing Benny Hill music in the background. Only in Britain \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Matt Sibson (@Matt Sibson) 1657190011
\u201cTory MP being interviewed on Sky News live outside the Palace of Westminster and blaring in the background is the theme tune to the old Benny Hill Show. Captures precisely what Boris Johnson has done to our democracy.\u201d— Mike Dailly (@Mike Dailly) 1657189822
\u201cSky news trying their best in the face of the benny hill theme tune blaring out at volume.\u201d— Jamie East (@Jamie East) 1657189684
The timing of the tune certainly left people in stitches as they felt it perfectly depicts the chaos.
\u201cMakes you proud to be British\u201d— Ali (@Ali) 1657191377
\u201cThe Benny Hill music playing over Tory MPs doing interviews on College Green is 100% on point.\u201d— Ian Dunt (@Ian Dunt) 1657189618
\u201cI didn't know live memes were a thing...\u201d— Ed O'Keefe (@Ed O'Keefe) 1657192848
\u201cThis sums up the last 48 hours of UK politics!\u201d— Finn (TheInFinncible) \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Finn (TheInFinncible) \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1657191810
\u201cThe background music just sums up British politics over the last few years. An absolute circus.\u201d— KWAJO- Social Housing (@KWAJO- Social Housing) 1657194257
\u201cSo much love for the people with the sound systems outside Westminster \ud83d\ude02\ud83e\udd73\u201d— Niamh Shields (@Niamh Shields) 1657193328
\u201cThe soundtrack to a circus.\u201d— david_mcnair (@david_mcnair) 1657193202
And who was the comedic mastermind behind this tune request? None other than actor Hugh Grant tweeted asking pro-EU protester Steve Bray to play the song.
"Morning @snb1962 Glad you have your speakers back. Do you by any chance have the Benny Hill music to hand?"
\u201cMorning @snb19692 Glad you have your speakers back. Do you by any chance have the Benny Hill music to hand?\u201d— Hugh Grant (@Hugh Grant) 1657180571
And Bray was more than happy to oblige as he responded: "Just for @HackedOffHugh as requested here today at the media circus... College Green. The Benny Hill theme tune," along with a clip of the music blaring.
\u201cJust for @HackedOffHugh as requested here today at the media circus\u2026 College Green. The Benny Hill theme tune.\u201d— Steve Bray Activist Against Brexit +Corrupt Tories (@Steve Bray Activist Against Brexit +Corrupt Tories) 1657191252
Truly a wild time in British politics.
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