Please note this interview was from last year but has been republished in light of Eamonn Holmes quitting Sky News on Thursday.
Eamonn Holmes has said interviewing Jeremy Corbyn on Sky News on Wednesday morning was like "clubbing a seal" - despite the Labour Party leader giving a calm and measured performance in the face of some rather odd questioning.
Appearing via video link from Brighton beach, Corbyn was told he was a "hippy", he "hates the Tories" and that solving the crisis in Syria is the same as managing a football team.
Host Eamonn Holmes started with the sports analogies early.
Referring to Corbyn's speech at the Labour conference on Tuesday and Arsenal's defeat to Olympiacos later that evening, he said: "It was a good day but it wasn't such a good night because I know you're an Arsenal supporter, we'll not really dwell on that."
Holmes then preceded to dwell on it.
He added: "It was all going so well and then that happened last night.
"I was wondering looking at you yesterday, every young lad has a dream maybe of playing in the FA Cup final and scoring the winning goal and looking at you, the love that was in the room - was yesterday your FA Cup Final?"
Corbyn replied: "It was a great day but it wasn't a day I spent my life searching for."
The Sky News presenter then compared Corbyn to a "religious leader" in his approach.
He said: "However, I put it to you - and I know you're into caring and respect but that doesn't happen on TV - but we'll do the next bit..."
At this point Corbyn interrupted to ask: "Why can't it happen on television?"
"Well, because people say I'm sucking up to you and I'm being soft and we're giving you an easy time so you know how the game works so we have to sort of change it," said Holmes.
SEE ALSO:
The strange dynamic continued when the host interrupted the Labour leader to put "another nasty question" to him about his speech.
Holmes then accused Corbyn of being a hypocrite by preaching a message of a "new era of politics and respecting people and all the rest" when in fact he must "hate" the Tories.
He said: "You don’t love and respect everybody, Why don’t you just admit you hate the Tories? I mean, you can’t talk about respect and love, you actually hate them."
Then the football analogies returned with Holmes appearing to suggest solving the crisis in Syria is the same as managing a football team.
"Look, let’s talk football. Your man's Arsene Wenger my man’s Alex Ferguson. Do you think they go into a dressing room and they say, listen boys, how are we going to line up tonight, what are we going to do tonight?
"No they don’t. Fergie always said he had to make it clear, there was one boss. That’s not your way of doing things though."
Corbyn said: "My way of doing things - because it’s politics, it’s community, it’s people, it’s Government - is actually not the same as managing a football team."
Holmes then finished of the bizarre encounter by having a go at his tie...
Reaction to the interview was largely negative towards Holmes...
But he did have some supporters...
READ MORE
