Boris Johnson ITV interview: The reason he deliberately messes up his hair before going on TV

Former prime minister Boris Johnson is appearing on TV screens around the nation tonight, but he won't be checking his hair in the mirror for perfection before stepping in front of the cameras.

In an exclusive interview airing on ITV, former Tory leader Boris Johnson will sit down with News at Ten's Tom Bradby at 7pm, following the BBC's scrapped interview plans due to a mishap by political journalist Laura Kuenssberg. As Johnson is back in the spotlight with Bradby, his infamous hair is returning with him.

One Johnson ally has been quoted regarding his notoriously tousled hair, reports the Mirror: "He's a barber's nightmare. Because the second he gets out the chair he sticks his hands through it and ruffles it all up. So however the barber tries to style it, it will look like a mop."

READ MORE: GP points out key difference in symptoms between Covid variant and flu

But what's the reason why? Eton-educated Johnson, born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, is known for deliberately disheveling his hair before public appearances. This tactic is seen as an attempt to distance himself from his ultra-posh roots and present himself as a "scruffily loveable English libertarian", the Mirror continues.

Johnson has never shied away from this sly political manoeuvre. In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, he evaded questions about his hair care routine, claiming ignorance about the shampoo he uses.

"I'm now so short-sighted, I'm blind!" he exclaimed, humorously suggesting that he could have mistakenly used acne cream or toothpaste on his hair that day. "I honestly couldn't see, but I put it on and it seemed to work."

In 2020, amidst leading the country through the Covid-19 pandemic, Johnson was again questioned about his hair routine. During a visit to Greater Manchester, the then-Prime Minister brushed off criticism of his untidy mop.

A reporter, asking on behalf of his mother, queried: "Your hair is all over the place and [my mother] wants to know why."

Boris quickly retorted: "It's something to do with my hair but I can tell you I do brush it." He followed up with an apology for his dishevelled appearance, adding: "Will you give your mother my very best for a very happy Christmas."

The much-anticipated interview with Boris Johnson on the BBC was abruptly cancelled earlier this week after Laura Kuenssberg's admission of a serious error. The former BBC Political Editor took to social media to reveal the mishap that rendered the interview inoperative.

"While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team. That obviously means it's not right for the interview to go ahead," said Kuenssberg in a tweet to her admirers on Wednesday evening. "It's very frustrating, and there's no point pretending it's anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked. But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday."

This was due to be Johnson's first rigorous interrogation on his period as PM on television since resigning in September 2022. Prior to the release of a severe standards committee report which concluded he had deceived the Commons about Number 10 gatherings in the lockdown-era of the coronavirus pandemic - dubbed 'Partygate' - Johnson had resigned from Parliament.

Still, he asserts his forced departure was unwarranted and anticipates presenting his side of the story in his upcoming book 'Unleashed', set to hit the stands soon.

In an ITV interview with Tom Bradby this evening, Johnson evaded questions about whether he regretted apologising to the Queen for the gatherings that took place just before Prince Philip's funeral. Despite being pressed three times on the issue, the former PM avoided a direct answer.

His new memoir, Unleashed, portrays his apologies for the Partygate scandal as a mistake, labelling them "pathetic" and "grovelling", and implying they overstated the government's guilt.

When Bradby questioned him about a section in his book concerning his handling of Partygate, asking: "You basically say it wasn't a big deal. I regret apologising. Is that really your position?" and "Did you regret apologising to the Queen?" Johnson deflected, stating: "I don't discuss my conversations with the Queen."

Pressed further for clarity, Johnson expanded: "What I was trying to say there was, I think that the blanket apology - the sort of apology I issued right at the beginning - I think the trouble with it was that afterwards, all the accusations that then rained down on officials who'd been working very hard in Number 10 and elsewhere were thought to be true. And by apologising I had sort of inadvertently validated the entire corpus and it wasn't fair on those people."

Reflecting on his time in office, Johnson discussed his handling of Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Partygate scandal that ultimately led to his resignation. He also addressed the chaos that ensued post-Brexit, pointing fingers at his predecessors, including David Cameron and Theresa May, in his book.

In a conversation with ITV News, he expressed astonishment at Cameron's decision to step down after the UK voted for Brexit, criticising him for not having a plan. The former PM stated: "What we expected and what I think, you know, everybody expected was that the Cameron Government having called a referendum a "yes", "no" choice for the people - a leave, remain choice for the people - would bring forward a white paper."

Bradby interjected: "Why? He didn't believe it - what made you possibly think that would be?" To which Johnson responded: "Because every other European leader when their whole referendum decides, you know, once the people have voted, decides what to do and stays in office."

He further added: "So, it's not normal for the prime minister having asked for a referendum vote suddenly to evacuate the stage."

Boris Johnson: The Interview is airing tonight at 7 PM on ITV1.