Politicians around the world have been called many unsavoury names over the years: rigid, sharp, pale, cold, among others.

Key points: UK PM Boris Johnson and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage declined to attend an election debate on climate change

UK PM Boris Johnson and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage declined to attend an election debate on climate change The broadcaster, Channel 4, put large ice sculptures in their place for the show

The broadcaster, Channel 4, put large ice sculptures in their place for the show Mr Johnson's Conservative Party have since filed a complaint to media regulator Ofcom

British broadcaster Channel 4 took it to the next level overnight, putting giant blocks of ice in the place of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage at an election debate.

At the beginning of the climate-themed debate, the show's host, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, said invitations were open to both leaders but since they did not take up the offer the ice posed as a reminder about global warming.

The move did not go down too well with Johnson's Conservative Party, which has since filed a complaint claiming that the broadcaster broke impartiality rules.

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What brought this on?

Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson was in attendance, whose party wishes to reverse Brexit. ( Reuters: Kirsty O'Connor )

Mr Johnson and Mr Farage declined to attend the debate, to which leaders of all Britain's main parties were invited, and both were represented instead by the dripping ice sculptures.

The Conservative Party's former environment minister, Michael Gove, attended as a substitute, but a video posted to Twitter by Gove himself indicated he showed up unannounced and requested to take part soon before filming began.

Channel 4 said the debate was only intended for party leaders, and that the other political parties did not want to change the debate's terms.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 2 minutes 9 seconds 2 m 9 s Conservative Party minister Michael Gove was turned away from Channel 4's climate debate

After the broadcaster would not let Mr Gove take the Prime Minister's place, it is understood the Conservatives wrote to broadcast regulator Ofcom and said the incident "effectively seeks to deprive the Conservative Party of any representation and attendance".

The Conservatives said the disagreement was "part of a wider pattern of bias by Channel 4 in recent months".

Will the station get in trouble?

TV broadcasters in Britain are required to remain politically impartial, with strict guidelines during election periods, and can be fined or even have their licences cancelled if they do not comply.

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News site Buzzfeed quoted an unnamed Conservative Party source as saying the party would call for a review into Channel 4's operating licence, which is due for renewal in 2024, if Johnson returns to power after the election on December 12.



Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly said Britain's election was parliamentary, not presidential, making it unreasonable for Channel 4 to require Johnson's appearance as a condition of the Conservatives taking part in the debate.

"Put your leader Boris Johnson alongside the other leaders and stop playing games. Don't refuse and then threaten our license — it's a slippery slope," Channel 4 news editor Ben de Pear said in reply.

The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon has been left out of other debates, despite her party's majority of Scotland's Commons seats. ( Reuters: Kirsty O'Connor )

Will issues with the media impact the election?

While it is difficult to narrow it down to this one incident, it does appear that Opposition parties are on the offensive towards the Prime Minister and his party with just two weeks until the election.

Polls are indicating that the Conservatives have a substantial lead, but that is no guarantee.

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Johnson has also declined to take part in a half-hour sit-down with BBC interviewer Andrew Neil to date, who gave tough scrutiny to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn earlier this week.

The PM yesterday insisted that he would do "many, many interviews over the course of the next few days and I'm sure that people are having all sorts of conversations right now about who I'm going to be talking to, when and where, and I look forward to it very much".

The Conservative Party is allegedly, and understandably, keen to avoid any further gaffes.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson during BBC's Question Time live election debate. ( AP: Jeff Overs )

Johnson has been no stranger to controversy throughout the election period.

Allegations of doctoring videos on social media and scrutiny over the delayed release of a report into Russia's alleged Brexit interference have impacted the Conservative Party since the campaign began.

Just this week, the BBC was forced to apologise for editing a clip of Johnson from their special election episode of Question Time, removing audience laughter and only leaving applause after a heavy question on truth.

Reuters/ABC