London (CNN) He is one of the the country's most popular and eccentric politicians and excels when it comes to hosting satirical television shows -- but Boris Johnson has ducked out of the race for prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Never one to shy away from the camera or shoot from the lip, the former mayor of London was a serious contender to replace David Cameron as leader of the UK.

All eyes were on Johnson after Cameron announced he would be resigning after the UK voted to leave the European Union

But a week after Britons voted for Brexit, Johnson announced he would not be entering the race for leader of the Conservative Party.

A leading voice in the Leave campaign, Johnson said in a press conference on Thursday that the Brexit vote was "our moment to stand tall in the world".

But added: "Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me."

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Known almost exclusively by his first name, or his nickname, "BoJo," the idiosyncratic Conservative is routinely labeled a reckless loose cannon by his critics.

Biographers have likened Johnson's appearance, tousled blond mop and all, to a "human laundry basket" or a "haystack on a bicycle."

Public gaffes

He is well known for making gaffes in public and was forced to apologize for racist comments after referring to black people as "piccaninnies" in 2008

But while popular during his eight years as mayor, presiding over the London 2012 Olympics and introducing his successful cycling program, he was met with a chorus of boos and jeers when he left his home in London on Friday.

Johnson caused a stir when he knocked over a 10-year-old schoolboy while playing Rugby in Japan.

The Leave campaign triumphed with 51.9% of the vote to win by 1,269.501 votes, with turnout at 72%.

"I think he has earned his place on the shortlist," Johnson's father, Stanley, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an interview where he defended his son's campaign, despite backing the Remain vote.

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Top job

Johnson was mayor of London from 2008 until May this year where he re-entered Westminster as a member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

By disposition, the Oxford-educated former journalist is a "maverick -- a man who can't see an apple cart without wanting to overturn it," said Andrew Gimson, author of a biography on the 52-year-old.

"He's not an old-style 'Euroskeptic' who takes his own tea bag with him when he gets on the channel ferry to go to some place full of ghastly foreigners.

"He's very good at putting the moderate case and speaking of having a relationship with Europe -- he just doesn't want Europe to be telling us what to do."

'Intellectually more capable'

Johnson, said Gimson, "undoubtedly considers himself to be a great deal more gifted" than Cameron.

"I think he feels the clock ticking -- he's two years older than Cameron. If he doesn't have a crack ... now, he's unlikely to ever get a better opportunity."

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To Gimson, Johnson's sense of his greater abilities stems back to their school days, where the mayor developed a dazzling intellectual reputation.

"I think he feels intellectually more capable. Here is a man with a knowledge of Latin and Greek who actually reads books for pleasure," he said.

Johnson outshone Cameron for years -- first at Eton, then Oxford, and then as The Daily Telegraph's Brussels correspondent.

Johnson quickly became an influential voice for his Euroskeptic writings, "lobbing bricks over the wall and hearing the crash of glass on the other side." He went on to become editor of British magazine The Spectator.

By contrast, Cameron made his professional name working as a political insider "totally unknown to the general public."

Signature style

It was also during his schooldays that Johnson began to develop his signature performance style -- one that has become a hallmark of his public appearances.

"He realized it was more amusing to give a performance which wasn't immaculate and where you sometimes appear to forget your lines than to do something smooth and immaculate."

Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson London Mayor Boris Johnson arrives at a Conservative Party election rally on May 5, 2015. As London elects a replacement for outgoing Mayor Boris Johnson, look back at some of his most photogenic moments. Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson London Mayor Boris Johnson knocks over 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a touch rugby game in Tokyo on October 15, 2015. "I accidentally flattened a 10-year-old on TV unfortunately," Johnson said in a speech to British and American businessmen. "But he bounced back, he put it behind him. The smile returned rapidly to his face." Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson attends the protest of a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport on April 27, 2013. Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson speaks at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England, on October 1, 2013. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson falls while competing in a tug of war October 27, 2015, during the launch of London Poppy Day. Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson and model Kelly Brook launch a cycling festival in London on August 25, 2011. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson plays wheelchair tennis to promote a tournament in London on November 24, 2014. Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson poses with members of a Carnival band in London on August 24, 2011. Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Spiritual leader Acharya Swamishree Maharaj marks a bindi on Johnson's forehead during a visit to a new Hindu temple in London on May 28, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson holds dance champion Camilla Dallerup at an event in London on July 1, 2010. Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson poses for a photograph to mark the start of a London Underground extension on November 23, 2015. Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson and actress Barbara Windsor play sitting volleyball after a Paralympics match in London on August 31, 2012. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson takes part in an Olympics news conference on August 13, 2012. Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: The many faces of Boris Johnson Johnson eats in the Olympic Village in London on July 12, 2012. Hide Caption 14 of 14

Johnson is said to muss his mop of blond hair before public speeches, giving him his trademark unkempt appearance, and is not afraid of being laughed at -- or even of appearing buffoonish.

In 2012, in a promotional appearance for the London Olympics, he rode a zip-line only to become stuck, dangling comically in his suit with a British flag in each hand. Pictures of the malfunction went global.

In Gimson's estimation though, Johnson succeeded in upstaging Cameron during the Games, London's big moment on the international stage.

"Boris is not really a team player," he said.

"He's a leader, and either his party and the country will accept him as leader, or he'll be in the wilderness."