Boris Johnson shuffled into the committee room a couple of minutes after 2pm, to find a gaggle of his staunchest defenders there to support him.
Tory MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg, Michael Fabricant, Scott Benton, Mark Jenkinson and James Duddridge and Lia Nici - Johnson’s former Parliamentary aides - were all front row - loudly ‘hear hearing’ the disgraced ex-PM as he took his seat for the grilling.
Meanwhile, Labour ’s Chris Bryant, who recused himself as chair of the committee, sat in a window alcove at the back of the room, out of the way of the cameras - listening intently and taking lengthy notes on Commons headed notepaper.