Have I Got News For You - could have done with a female host this evening

[MrsFogi]

Very disappointed this evening - it felt a though the programme was all over the place this evening. I'm not sure if my view was somewhat influenced by my newfound dislike of Hislop and Merton after their comments about women presenters recently.
There are loads of women who would be brilliant on this programme......

Victoria CM was great, as was Val McDermid!

Not sure Val contributed much.

I enjoyed her comments though, she was low key. I always think Richard Osman is a good guest, funny without being cruel.

Val was funny and interesting whenever she had a chance to speak. Hislop and Merton are both much more interested in hearing their own voices than they are to share the limelight with their guests though.

I did hear Hislop on the radio saying how many of the female guests they invite don't want to do it. Anyway I have watched it for ever and love IH. Merton is a bit cocky but they obv get on well together and fire off each other.

I think Steph would be a great host.

Going back to the one Steph was in, both dh and me were laughing at it, as she ran rings around them especially showing paxman for the bellend he was. not that he needed much help

I did hear Hislop on the radio saying how many of the female guests they invite don't want to do it.

Because they invite them to take the piss out of them. I do still watch HIGFNY but it's not a female-friendly show. I highly recommend Radio 4's News Quiz for those who want some similar with a greater proportion of women.

A lot of women decline because when they have 4 men and one woman, the men tend to gang up on the woman and it's unpleasant to watch and must be even more unpleasant to be on the receiving end of. If I was in the public eye sufficiently to be invited, I would only accept if they could guarantee that I would not be the only woman.

It's the quality of the guest that counts, not the gender or it just becomes a token gesture.

It's the quality of the guest that counts, not the gender

Yeah, and the producers are running low on good quality guests because they're having 4 times more men than women. They've gone through the best men. If they actually harvested the whole population for talent, including women, then they might not struggle for quality so much.

I'd like to see Kate Smurthwaite or Suzi Ruffell on HIGNFY.

I'm sure there are woman that would do a great job presenting HIGNFY.......... However, the ones that have done it so far have been poor.

I thought Paxman was truly dreadful on it last week. Surely that man has had his day?

VCM was a much better return to form.

But I think the whole series has gone off the boil recently. I used to record it so i could catch up if I missed an episode. Not bothering any more. I'll watch it if I'm home & there's nothing better on.

Victoria CM is exceptional in that she is obv clever and confident in her own skin. Jo Brand just makes self-deprecating fat/vagina jokes all the time. Fact is the majority of female guests/hosts have been mediocre and it is an entertainment show. All the guests and hosts, men and women, get ragged/teased/insulted. Jeremy Clarkson was torn apart when he hosted the show. It's a tough and combative environment and if some women find it intimidating that's tough.