BBC Question Time's 11 Greatest Highlights

Highlander, shouty blue-haired woman and the search for aliens.
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1) When someone asked if Scottish Independence would help in the search for aliens.

Yes, this actually happened...

Amid a row between the Question Time audience over the then-upcoming Scottish Independence vote, one member of the audience was invited to make a comment. It was a short, but wonderful contribution to the debate.

“I believe that if we become independent then we will be one step closer to finding aliens,” said one young chap.

Presumably he successfully won a bet. Or he just really likes aliens...

2) When Owen Smith was shunned by an audience desperate for Jeremy Corbyn selfies.

In a none-too thrilling BBC Question Time last week, arguably the most entertaining moment came as the end credits started to roll...

As the special edition, in which Labour leadership contenders Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith faced off, drew to a close, the audience appeared to vote with their feet.

Many took to the stage in an attempt to get a selfie with both men - or more accurately, just Corbyn.

To add to Smith’s embarrassment, he also appeared to assume an approaching gentleman was going to shake his hand only for him to walk straight past and towards a photo opportunity with his opponent.

3) The ‘I want my country back’ lady.

But what does that mean?

This clip is from an episode broadcast from Doncaster back in April in which the undoubtedly passionate lady in question said: “I want my country back and I want freedom.’

Dimbleby then asked: “What do you mean?”

“I don’t believe our country is free anymore. You only have to look at the European Union and what’s going off there.

“I want my country back. I want Britain to be Britain. We’re all just so frustrated with all this rubbish we’re hearing.”

Yes, but WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???!!!

4) When the audience told Nigel Farage and Eddie Izzard to “SHUT UP!”

 Yes guys, please do.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage and comedian Eddie Izzard had spent much of the programme back in early June, bickering over the upcoming referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU.

During one particularly heated exchange, which saw them shout over each other for ten seconds straight, a riled audience member took it upon themselves to calm the pair and inject some adultness into the debate. 

Bravo.

5) When a Hillsborough survivor sparks a rare moment of political unity to the programme.

That doesn’t happen often.

The normally combative ‘Question Time‘ displayed a moment of poignancy back in April when Tory Greg Clark praised Labour’s Andy Burnham on the Hillsborough inquiry verdict.

It had been prompted by a questions from the audience including the above from a man who had survived the crush at the football ground in 1989 which claimed the lives of 96 people.

6) This guy’s very simple solution to austerity.

Make him PM.

This gentlemen’s simple solution for solving austerity went down an absolute storm.

During a heated segment of an April episode addressing tax evasion and avoidance in light of the Panama Papers, an unnamed man in a red jumper was repeatedly interrupted before making his point.

After host David Dimbleby calmed the panel and audience, the man said: “There’s £36 billion of austerity measures, there’s over £30 billion of unpaid tax.

“It don’t take a genius to realise, if you close the tax loopholes, get that £30 billion in tax, we don’t need need to take austerity measures.

“There you go.”

Indeed.

7) The ‘Highlander’.

What an absolute legend.

Filmed in Scotland, the question of the then-forthcoming referendum came up, with the camera cutting to this chap – Nigel from Inverness who delivered a vignette that could have been lifted from the script of Braveheart… If Wallace was in favour of the Union… which he wouldn’t have been.

“I was born in Inverness, I’m a passionate Highlander, and I love Scotland. I will take a stand to keep the United Kingdom together. I will give my life for my country as my grandfather did in the First World War.”

Well bravo, sir.

8) Shouty blue-haired woman lays into Farage.

This...

 

When Nigel Farage and Russell Brand failed to set sparks flying in December 2014, the audience was on hand to provide a dose of surreal heckling that was universally lapped up by viewers baying for intellectual blood.

Shouty blue-haired woman (SBHW) started with some good old-fashioned insults aimed at Farage.

And she didn’t stop there. Things escalated into a rather scary threat...

 SBHW is from Thanet and she’s coming for you Farage.

9) This excellent one-liner attacking Cameron and Osborne.

Oof.

This young lad launched a zinger of a one-liner back in March, attacking David Cameron and George Osborne‘s deficit reduction claims.

Speaking from Dundee, Scotland, the young man said: “I think it’s ridiculous to say because of the ‘black hole’ that Scotland can’t be independent, because the UK is £1.3 trillion in debt.

“For David Cameron and George Osborne to keep saying it’s the last Labour government’s fault, if I had a pound for every time they’ve said that I could probably pay for this ‘black hole’ myself.”

10) The man who asked: ‘Do you watch the internet?’

Only after the watershed.

 

Speaking from Liverpool in March a gruff-voiced gentlemen was allowed to chip in with his opinion on the EU, immigration and... conspiracies.

He said: “I take it the panel watches the internet?

“If you watch the internet you will find that half of the stuff you see on the media on the telly is edited.

“Half of them immigrants, they don’t want the water, they don’t want the food, they want money and they want to try to get to Britain.”

11) When Ed Miliband almost fell off the stage.