Ex-Newsnight host and comedian to co-present broadcaster’s coverage of general election, which includes special edition of Gogglebox

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Jeremy Paxman and David Mitchell will anchor Channel 4’s coverage of the night of the general election, including a special election edition of Gogglebox.



Paxman, who interviewed David Cameron and Ed Miliband in a joint Channel 4 and Sky News programme kicking off the series of party leader TV events, said: “Elections matter. But that doesn’t mean the coverage has to be dull. I hope there’ll be room for both insight and laughter.”

The former Newsnight presenter, who was signed up by Channel 4 earlier this year, will host a night of comedy, entertainment and comment on what is expected to be the tightest election in decades on Channel 4’s Alternative Election Night on 7 May.

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Mitchell was one of the presenters of Channel 4’s election coverage in 2010, which also featured Jimmy Carr, Charlie Brooker and Lauren Laverne and beat ITV in the ratings.

The pair will be joined by Cathy Newman and Gary Gibbon from Channel 4 News and guests including Last Leg presenter Adam Hills, Pointless host Richard Osman “providing his interpretation of events”, and Fonejacker star Kayvan Novak.

The Channel 4 News team “will be on the ground in key electoral battlegrounds, reporting right through the night and bringing the latest news and results”, with Gibbon and Newman “providing hard-edged commentary on the political story”, said the broadcaster.

The night of programmes will also include an election edition of Gogglebox, Channel 4’s award-winning “real-life Royle family” show which has become its biggest returning hit with 4 million viewers on Friday night.

In the run-up to polling day Channel 4 will broadcast a new topical comedy, Ballot Monkeys, from Andy Hamilton and Guy Perkins, the creators of Drop the Dead Donkey and Outnumbered, with a cast featuring Ben Miller, Hugh Dennis and Sarah Hadland.

On the night of the election, More 4 will also be broadcasting The Vote, a play dramatising the final 90 minutes before the polls close, live from London’s Donmar Warehouse theatre.

Ed Havard, head of Channel 4’s TV events, said: “This is an unpredictable election and we’ve got a genuinely unpredictable and exciting line-up for our take on election night. It promises to be very different, and a lot of fun. Plus we’re on all night so you won’t miss a thing.”

The coverage will be jointly produced by Big Brother maker Endemol and ITN, maker of Channel 4 News.

Mitchell said: “Our aim is to keep people watching much later than they intended and we will be judged by the dip in the nation’s productivity on Friday May 8.”