General election 2024 party leaders tell Radio Times what they're watching on TV
From Baby Reindeer to Mr Tumble, here's what some of the UK's leading politicians have been enjoying on the small screen.
As the UK prepares to head to the polling stations for next week's General Election, Radio Times asked the leaders of the main political parties what they've enjoyed watching on TV recently.
With choices ranging from Bridgerton to Horrible Histories, these are the shows that have caught the attention of the nation's politicians away from the demands of the campaign trail.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was also contacted by Radio Times, but has not supplied a contribution for this feature at the time of writing.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Conservative Party leader
"As Radio Times readers might imagine, right now I'm spending my time travelling the country to hear from as many people as possible, so I don't have a huge amount of time for telly beyond catching the Euros when I can. But I've recently enjoyed watching Bridgerton with [my wife] Akshata. I'm always in awe at the talent that we have in this country, and fantastic period dramas like this showcase why this country stands as a creative industries superpower."
Ed Davey, Liberal Democrats leader
"When I get a chance to watch TV, it's normally with my children. Recently, I've watched a lot of Operation Ouch! and Horrible Histories with my daughter, and Something Special and Mr Tumble's other programmes with my son on his iPad. They're all great shows!"
Carla Denyer, Green Party co-leader
"I don't watch many political dramas – too much of a busman's holiday. But I make exceptions for The West Wing and Borgen. I'm more often on the other side of the camera, but on an evening off I can also be found watching Death in Paradise or Doctor Who."
Adrian Ramsay, Green Party co-leader
"I like crime dramas and I'm currently streaming Rebus, though I'm struggling to find much time to watch it at the moment. I'm also hoping to watch the England and Scotland matches in the Euros where campaigning allows!"
John Swinney, SNP leader
"Despite Scotland's journey at the Euros coming to an end, I'll be keeping a close eye on the tournament when I can as it reaches the latter stages."
Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru leader
"It's good to be able to switch off completely from wall-to-wall politics and news, and I've found sports documentaries to be a fine way to escape. After Drive to Survive and Full Swing on Netflix, I'm now enjoying Quarterback. In between reading manifestos and policy briefings, fellow train passengers may well see me watching an episode as I travel between debates and interviews during the campaign!"
Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader
"I recently watched Baby Reindeer on Netflix all in one sitting. The more I cringed, the more compulsive it became."
The Wimbledon and General Election issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe here.
Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
