On 12 October 1979, Harold Wilson, the former Labour prime minister, hosted the first of two editions of BBC2’s live chat show Friday Night, Saturday Morning – the first time a past or sitting prime minister had fronted an entertainment programme. The second episode aired on 19 October.

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Wilson, who resigned as prime minister in 1976, had been a fixture of British politics for three decades. He won four general elections in his 13 years as Labour leader, serving as prime minister from 1964 to 1970 and again since 1974. His resignation came just five days after his 60th birthday.

Wilson was known for his media-savvy persona and was generally considered to be a popular public figure. At the time of his appearance, Wilson remained in the House of Commons as a backbench MP. It came after the 1979 general election, which had resulted in a Conservative majority with Margaret Thatcher as prime minister.

Friday Night, Saturday Morning, produced by Iain Johnstone and Will Wyatt, used a rotating guest-host format. A different presenter was featured every fortnight, each choosing their own guests.

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The experiment in drafting an ex-prime minister as a presenter, however, was widely judged to be a failure. Wilson’s appearances were received poorly. He seemed ill-suited to the demands of live, spontaneous light entertainment, struggling to maintain the smooth flow of conversation required by the format.

A contemporary review in the Spectator read: “The fascinating thing about Wilson’s performance was how abysmally bad it was.”

The former prime minister was prone to frequent, awkward pauses. When the guest chair was vacant, he continued his strained relationship with the studio’s autocue.

Guests on Friday Night, Saturday Morning during Wilson’s stint as host included broadcaster Robin Day, comedian Harry Secombe, actress Pat Phoenix, Labour MP Tony Benn, and cricketer Freddie Trueman.

Robin Day, famed for his political coverage on the BBC, was greeted by Wilson in mock‑sinister tones: “Now the tables are turned!”

The former prime minister asked Day whether he would have preferred to be an MP rather than a political journalist. Day acknowledged that he might have, but conceded: “I don’t have any illusions that I’d have been a particularly distinguished MP, let alone a minister.”

“Well, you never know”, Wilson observed, “look at the people who have become ministers in both parties.”

Day said in response: “And prime ministers!”

After Wilson made a passing comment about his guest’s tie, Day quipped: “Well, I thought I’d give you something to talk about, because you seemed to be in difficulties last week.”

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Another awkward exchange occurred when Wilson asked Pat Phoenix which Shakespearean roles she “would really like to play”.

Phoenix listed a few, including some she had previously performed, and added jokingly: “I’m a bit past it now.”

Before Wilson could continue his line of questioning, Phoenix interjected: “Say ‘No’!”

Wilson appeared taken aback, and an awkward pause followed. His next question was a non sequitur, focusing on whether Phoenix “missed the rest of the [Coronation Street] cast during this period when you’re not on the air.”

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Wilson’s two-episode tenure as a late-night host was later included in Channel 4‘s “100 TV Moments from Hell”.

The perceived decline in Wilson’s quick wittedness was later attributed to cognitive decline. Iain Johnstone, Friday Night, Saturday Morning producer, believed Wilson was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease at the time. Wilson publicly denied health concerns had caused his resignation as prime minister in 1976, but it has since been speculated that medical factors contributed.

Wilson was diagnosed with colon cancer and Alzheimer’s-related dementia in his retirement years.

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Wilson’s stint on Friday Night, Saturday Morning was an early example of politics and show-business converging.

Neil Kinnock, during his tenure as Labour leader, appeared in the video for Tracey Ullman’s 1984 hit ‘My Guy’.

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In 2003, the prime minister, Tony Blair, appeared as himself in The Simpsons.

Homer Simpson exclaimed in the episode: “Wow, I can’t believe we met Mr Bean!”

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In 2004, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy – known for his appearances on the satirical quiz show Have I Got News for You – featured in a special Christmas edition of EastEnders.

In 2007, Blair appeared in a sketch alongside Catherine Tate’s schoolgirl character Lauren to raise money for the annual Comic Relief charity appeal.

He even delivered Lauren’s catchphrase, exclaiming: “I ain’t bovvered”.

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