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Charlie Brooker has said rehearsing for his guest presenting role on Have I Got News For You was “the most
Black Mirror thing” he’s ever seen.
The satirist, who created and writes the dystopian
Netflix drama series, hosted the topical
BBC panel show on Friday night, with all its panellists appearing from home via video link.
And while the new format has been in place for a number of weeks now, Charlie hadn’t quite expected what happened during preparations, likening it to “having a breakdown”.Speaking on the show, Charlie said: “There was a test earlier on, where there were people sitting in all four of your houses and I was talking to four people in face masks… it was like I was having a breakdown.
“It was the most Black Mirror thing I’ve ever seen… and I’ve sat in the edit for that show.”
HIGNFY team captain Ian Hislop jokingly blamed Charlie for the
Coronavirus pandemic, pointing out similarities between his anthology series and the current situation.
At the top of the show, Ian said: “I’m very thrilled to have you on as host, obviously… the purveyor of apocalyptic vision.
“Presumably we’ll get Nostradamus next week, and after that The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse are going to sit there and
fire some jolly questions at us… I blame you.”Charlie recently returned with a special “Antiviral” edition of his hit show Screenwipe last week, which took a sideways look at events during the pandemic.
The episode saw him poke fun at politicians including prime minister Boris Johnson and health secretary Matt Hancock, as well as offering an acerbic take at some recent news stories, much to the delight of viewers.
Have I Got News For You airs on Fridays at 9pm on BBC One. READ MORE: Charlie Brooker Explains 'Odd Fish' Piers Morgan's Absence From Antiviral Wipe Special Charlie Brooker’s Antiviral Wipe Was The 'Perfect Tonic' To Life In Lockdown For Viewers Netflix Reveals Which ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ Ending Was The Least Watched