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9 Most awkward moments from the election coverage

9 Most awkward moments from the election coverage

9 Most awkward moments from the election coverage

There's a problem with hosting a general election on a school night. From 9 until 11 o'clock, our televisions were awash with caffeine-edged political pundits and interviewees all agreeing that it was "far too early to tell", pouring over an exit poll that swung wildly from "shocking" to "confused". By the time things really got going, we'd all gone to bed.

Never fear - assuming you've surfed through the proper talking points (Conservatives on their way to a majority, SNP's sweeping to victory in Scotland, Lib Dems taking an early shower and Labour failing to make an impression), we've rounded up the best of the worst moments from last night's election coverage, and the election campaign as a whole.

From the toe curling to the bizarre, this is the beautiful, ugly side of politics.


The moment CNN went completely US-centric

Because heaven forbid CNN viewers see the UK as anything other than an invasion partner. 


Ed Miliband confronted by a giant hat

Having successfully defended his Doncaster North constituency, a deflated Ed Miliband took to the stage to make his 'victory' speech. But, if failing to pull a national result out of the hat wasn't bad enough, shaking hands with a smug-looking Nick "Flying Brick" Delves only added to his winces. After all, Delves had the better night, given the Monster Raving Loony Party's aims on not being elected...

You can watch the awkward handshake here.


Everything about this image

The moment that Nigel Farage failed to win his seat was cause of obvious delight for Pub Landlord Al Murry. For Nigel - not so much.


When Jon Snow ate a bacon sandwich

To round off a day of news coverage on which the world had tweeted its support of Ed Miliband eating a bacon sandwich, Channel 4's Jon Snow decided - inexplicably - to join in on the fun. 

It's not a face you can un-see. 


When Ruth Cadbury forgot Labour's key policies

The Chiswick Calendar isn't known for its hard-hitting political interviews, but that all changed when Nick Raikes put Brentford and Isleworth Labour candidate Ruth Cadbury on the spot by asking her what the key policies in her manifesto were.

Raikes, sensing an easy kill, went for the jugular - following up by asking Cadbury what her favourite colour was, the date of her birth and the first three digits of her phone number. The bully.


When Ed Miliband sniffed a managing director

One of two things is happening here. Either Laura Tenison, MD of Jojo Maman Bebe, is wearing particularly alluring perfume, or the secretly vampiric Ed Miliband has just picked up the scent of a new meal.


When things got awkward for Chuka Umunna

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna was never going to do well in an interview with Sky's Dermot Murnaghan on the subject of Labour's letter to English mosques, but ending the interview with a Tinder-like left swipe possibly wasn't the most mature way of dealing with things.


The BBC's spelling of Renfrewshire

We can only assume someone writing the banner had a particularly forgettable holiday there...


Ed Miliband slips up

It would prove to be one of his more minor missed steps in the overall campaign.