Desperate Boris Johnson invoked The Lion King today as he gave staff a "half-time pep talk" to stop more staff following five aides out the door.
The embattled Prime Minister admitted "shock and shell" had been hurled at him in recent weeks as he faces Tory fury.
Yesterday Munira Mirza, one of his longest-serving aides and one of the five women he says shaped his life, quit in disgust.
She blasted the Prime Minister for falsely claiming Keir Starmer failed to prosecute the paedophile Jimmy Savile.
Three more aides followed her out the door. No10 allies claimed those three were part of a planned clearout, but then a fifth aide's resignation emerged this morning.
Sources told the Mirror the PM invoked Rafiki, the philosopher Mandrill of Disney's The Lion King.
He said: "As Rafiki in the Lion King says, change is good, and change is necessary even though it's tough.
"We've got to get on with our job of serving the people of this country."
The PM added: "This is like a half-time pep talk.. This is the moment when spit out the chewed up slice of orange.
"You put the gum-shield back in and then you get back on the pitch. That's what we're doing".
When asked if Mr Johnson had watched the Lion King, the PM's spokesman said: "I don't know".
Asked if the Prime Minister had "lost control" of Downing Street, the official spokesman insisted: "No".
Despite blowing more than £100,000 on a lavish revamp of his grace-and-favour flat, the PM claimed: "None of us are in this business because we want to be luxuriating simply in being in Downing St because it's a wonderful place to be.
"It's a privilege to work here. We are doing wonderful things for our country and you should be very proud of what you're doing."
The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "The PM spoke to No10 staff this morning. He reflected on the privilege of working in No10.”
He added: “He thanked those who are leaving for their contributions alongside the whole team for their work.”
It comes as five of the PM's Downing Street aide's have quit in the last 24 hours.
Elena Narozanski, an £80k Special Advisor to the Prime Minister and member of his policy unit, is the latest to resign according to Tory Bible ConservativeHome.
Yesterday Mr Johnson was rocked when Munira Mirza, one of his longest-serving aides who he named among the five women who shaped his life, quit as his policy chief.
She resigned in protest at the PM’s Jimmy Savile smear aimed at Keir Starmer, saying “it was an inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse”.
A Downing Street source said last night: "There’s meant to be an all-staff meeting tomorrow. Assuming there are still any staff."
Asked if it was like the last days of Rome, Treasury minister Simon Clarke replied: "The last days of Rome, I think, were more fun."
Ms Narozanski is said to have been an ally to Ms Mirza. Former No 10 aide Nikki da Costa said she is "one of the most principled women I know", adding: "Another big loss to the policy unit."
No10 spin chief Jack Doyle, chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and the PM's principal private secretary Martin Reynolds - who invited aides to a BYOB bash - then all quit too.
Even the Chancellor Rishi Sunak issued a string of swipes at the PM, saying 'I wouldn’t have said' the Savile slur, the Tories would remain focused 'on my watch', and repeatedly refusing to rule out a leadership run in a BBC interview.
“That’s very kind of them to suggest that, but what I think people want from me is to focus on my job", Mr Sunak said.
Tory big beast Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former Foreign Secretary, said Ms Mirza's decision to quit showed the PM had become "toxic".
"With the best will in the world, one has to say this is not so much the end of the beginning but it is the beginning of the end," he said.
“What we have seen is his political judgment has turned out to be very hollow, because when he has done controversial things they have backfired."
