Boris Johnson was booed by some passengers as he flew home from the Caribbean in economy, according to reports.
The former Tory Prime Minister had been holidaying in the Dominican Republic with his family but is now returning to the UK and set to attempt a bold return to power.
He landed back in Britain just after 10am on Saturday - as his former deputy Dominic Raab joined a chorus of Tories begging him not to stand.
Mr Johnson boarded the Friday evening flight before other passengers to what was reportedly a "mixed reaction".
A photo taken on the aircraft shows him sitting in a window seat with his head down.
Sky News ' US correspondent Mark Stone was on board the Johnsons' flight home and said there were a few boos and several passengers looked "slightly bewildered" by their presence.
He said: "Mr Johnson is sitting in economy, quite near the back of the plane, with his wife and children - one of his children climbing on top of him.
"He's in a suit, his head forward, deep in thought, but moments before that one of his children was climbing on top of him - a family coming back from their holidays."
The former PM is said to be keen to throw his hat into the ring for a second bid at Number 10.
It comes after the Mirror published a photo of Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson sat at a beach bar during their holiday blissfully relaxing while some 4,300 miles across the Atlantic, turmoil was unfolding as his old job became vacant.
A British holidaymaker visiting a pal at the island’s Casa De Campo resort spotted the ex-Premier looking “chilled out”.
The snap of Mr Johnson, 58, and Carrie, 34, was taken at about 5pm last Friday - hours after Kwasi Kwarteng was fired as Chancellor and doomed Liz Truss 's excruciating Downing Street press conference.
"They were in quite deep conversation,” said a British tourist. "It was fairly big news back in the UK."
And a friend of Boris Johnson told the Mirror on Friday night: “He’s Whatsapping MPs saying ‘I’m flying back, we’re going to do this, I’m up for it.’”
The Johnsons were in the Dominican Republic for two weeks.
Six weeks ago the ex-PM stepped down amid a series of scandals to make way for Ms Truss who after only 44 days has resigned.
Conservative MP Sir James Duddridge told Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig that Mr Johnson is planning a second bid for Downing Street - saying he is "up for it" and "I'm going to do it, Dudders!".
He is currently one of three frontrunners alongside former chancellor Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.
A new Prime Minister could be announced as early as Monday night or Tuesday morning if only one candidate emerges - or by Friday if there is a contest between two rivals.
Supporters of Mr Johnson immediately started calling for the scandal-ridden former PM to make an extraordinary comeback.
More than 40 MPs have come out for Mr Sunak, with around 35 publicly backing Mr Johnson and some 15 supporting Ms Mordaunt.
However, in a major blow for Mr Johnson today, David Frost - who he put in the Lords as his Brexit minister - abandoned his bid.
Lord Frost said Mr Johnson "will always be a hero" but backed "capable" Rishi Sunak, adding: "We must move on. It is simply not right to risk repeating the chaos & confusion of the last year."
