Al Murray made headlines when he went up against Ukip’s Nigel Farage for the seat of South Thanet during the 2015 general election.
And the comedian has now shared his “relief” – or lack thereof – that his former political foe is now allied with US President-elect Donald Trump.
He also described the American sense of humour as “bleak” after the results of the recent US election.
Al told the Press Association, with more than just a hint of irony: “Like a lot of people, I’m delighted that two men in a golden lift have come to save us from the rich elite. What a relief.”
He added: “They’re men of the people… with solid gold lifts, they left that bit off the end.”
Using his Pub Landlord alter-ego, Al famously formed the Free United Kingdom Party (FKUP) to go up against Farage’s Ukip last year.
And, although he confessed it was all a bit of a joke, Al managed to receive 318 votes, beating the likes of the Socialist and BNP parties in South Thanet. The seat was won by the Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay.
Gareth Fuller PA Archive/PA Images)
Al has also promised to reveal more details of his unlikely candidacy and spill the beans about his bold ideas for the economy when he takes to the stage at the upcoming Absolute Radio Live comedy show at the London Palladium.
Al has joined forces with Absolute Radio’s Christian O’Connell for a very special comedy night to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, along with a line-up of other TV comedians such as Adam Hills, Jason Manford, Rob Beckett and Zoe Lyons.
The now sold-out gig at the popular venue will see all profits go to the charity, which helps people who are suffering from cancer or those who are affected by the disease in some way.
It was a great honour to spend time with @realDonaldTrump. He was relaxed and full of good ideas. I'm confident he will be a good President. pic.twitter.com/kx8cGRHYPQ
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) November 12, 2016
Al said: “There will be some stuff about Thanet and my manifesto which included adding 10p to the pound to make it £1.10… that’s some sound economics.”
He said that it’s important to find the humour in negative things, especially after a year that has divided nations.
“No-one wants to come to an evening where we stand there saying, ‘Oh my God, isn’t it awful’. You have to find the glimmer of humour in it.”
He added: “I mean, Trump proves that Americans have a sense of humour. Arguably a bleak one, but one nevertheless. That’s one of the modern day challenges, finding humour in stuff. You could argue the cause we’re doing it for, if we’re finding laughs in something that’s tragic, that’s a good thing too.”
Christian, who hosts his self-named breakfast show, revealed that he has been asked by a handful listeners to stop talking about politics and his views on Trump.
He said: “I presumed everyone was like us and hated Trump, but I found out when I said that, I had a couple of emails from people telling me to just play songs, no-one wants to hear your opinion about Donald Trump.
“I was like, wow – really? It was a couple of emails but I was stunned, really stunned.”
Despite this, politics and the recent election results and that of Brexit will form a part for many of the comedians’ bits on Sunday night.
It’s all for a good cause, and Christian explained how he became inspired to host this brand new event to raise money for Macmillan.
He said: “Cancer sadly is one of those things that affects everyone – so many of my listeners sadly know someone that’s had cancer and I saw the Macmillan advert about two months ago. It was really moving and Macmillan have helped a couple of my family members over the years. I thought it would be really good if we could do something on the show for them, so it came from that.”
Christian added that he hopes he can turn the show – which he will host and also perform during – into an annual money-spinner for the charity.
Al said he felt compelled to help the good cause for Macmillan after his own experiences.
“I lost a friend of mine at the start of the year and so when you hear that people are doing stuff about this, to help and stuff to help those who help, you’ve just got to – you can’t say no, you’ve got to get involved,” he said.
“Luckily I had the night off!”
Christian O’Connell and Al Murray perform at Absolute Radio Live at the London Palladium on Sunday November 27. To find out more about Macmillan Cancer Support, visit the official website.
