The former culture secretary Nadine Dorries is to host her own Friday night talk show on TalkTV and her first programme will feature an exclusive interview with Boris Johnson. Dorries is the latest former Conservative cabinet minister to get a television show after the fall of Johnson’s government. The former culture secretary will interview Johnson on 3 February. Her TalkTV show, Friday Night with Nadine, will air at 8pm every week and feature guests from the worlds of politics, culture and sport, in which they will take a look at the week’s news before engaging in topical debates. Speaking about her interview with Johnson, she said: “As someone who’s never been afraid to speak their mind, I’m delighted to be joining the team at TalkTV for Friday Night with Nadine, where I’ll be putting my 23-year political career and experiences at the dispatch box to good use. “Boris Johnson continues to dominate so much of the political narrative since his departure from No 10. Now’s the time to find out what he really thinks about a whole range of pressing issues.” It is the latest of Dorries’ ventures since returning to the backbenches. Late last year she announced plans to release a book focused on Johnson’s downfall, with the working title The Political Assassination of Boris Johnson. The former culture secretary was a staunch supporter of Johnson, regularly defending him right up to his departure from No 10.
Speaking after Liz Truss resigned, she suggested her party colleagues would realise they wanted Johnson back in No 10. “We are back to being way down in polls and now a lot of MPs will look and see … that Boris Johnson is a winner … A lot of the newer MPs will realise having a winner in place is what the party needs to survive.” Dorries previously hosted on TalkTV on behalf of Piers Morgan while he was on holiday in October, alongside the former Evening Standard editor Emily Sheffield. She was mocked as she appeared to struggle with the autocue, at one point forgetting her guest’s name. On Thursday, Jacob Rees-Mogg announced plans to host a GB News show, in which he will “debate the hot topics of the day” and interview guests from “across the political spectrum”. The former business secretary described GB News as “a bastion of free speech”.