Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

"It is more likely that I will be reincarnated as an olive, locked in a disused fridge, decapitated by a flying frisbee" - Boris Johnson in 2015, when asked by Channel 4 News about his chances of becoming prime minister.

And yet, here we are. Boris Johnson's lengthy journey to the summit of British politics was completed on Tuesday, when he was announced as the new leader of the Conservative Party -- and Britain's next prime minister.

"Dude, we're going to energize the country," he promised a packed event hall.

Johnson will take the keys to Downing Street on Wednesday, shortly after Theresa May's last Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. May will travel to meet the Queen and formally resign in the afternoon, before Johnson makes the same journey to ask to form a government.

When he crosses the threshold into Number 10, he will be met with a bulging in-tray, a rash of resignations and a flimsy working majority of just two seats.

And so will begin another round of drama at the heart of British government.

You can follow our coverage throughout the day on Wednesday -- but for now, we're closing up our live updates and getting out of here, dude.