Paul Merton reveals big challenge of doing Have I Got News for You
Paul Merton has revealed the biggest challenge of being a panellist on BBC One's Have I Got News for You after 35 years.
Paul Merton is struggling to find "new things to say" on Have I Got News for You as the same topics are making top news stories.
The 68-year-old comedian and the 65-year-old journalist Ian Hislop have been panellists on the BBC One comedy quiz show - which sees them and their celebrity teammate answer questions based on, and make light of, the week's top news stories - since 1990.
But as they are repeatedly making jokes about subjects - including US President Donald Trump, 79 - that are constantly in the news cycle, Paul finds it tricky to produce new material.
He told the new issue of Loaded magazine: "There are certain news stories that won't go away. COVID was one, Brexit was another, and of course, Donald Trump.
"It's difficult to find new things to say, but if those are the major stories, you have to cover them."
Paul says that the producers of the show do not mention the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia every week because people want to hear good news stories.
He explained: "We sometimes cover Ukraine, but you don't want a war story every week, as I think the reason people tune in is to escape from the bad news stories.
"We have to make sure we're not concentrating too much on the gloomy stuff."
Paul said it was "special" that his teenage idols - the late comedians Peter Cook and Spike Milligan - appeared on Have I Got News for You in 1992 and 1995 respectively.
He added: "I think when you meet someone whom you deeply admired when you were a teenager, it's something special when you meet them as an adult.
"Spike Milligan and Peter Cook, for example. They would stand out as extraordinary people that you couldn't quite believe you were sharing a screen with."
Paul adored the comedienne Victoria Wood - who died of oesophageal cancer at the age of 62 in 2016 - and he thinks she turned down an offer to do Have I Got News for You because she was not keen on the programme.
He explained: "I was a huge fan of Victoria Wood, and it would have been lovely to have her on.
"I think she was asked, but maybe it wasn't her thing?
"I think most people we wanted to get on the show have been on it."
