Dan Stevens has been branded a “hero” after calling Boris Johnson a “criminal” on The One Show.
The Downton Abbey star appeared on the BBC series on Wednesday (13 April), when he was asked to describe the plot of his new series Gaslit, which is about the Watergate scandal.
“What you’ve got is a criminal for a leader who is wrapped in a messy war, embroiled in a stupid scandal and surrounded by ambitious idiots and really should resign,” he said.
“No, I’m sorry that’s the intro to Boris Johnson.”
Presenters Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas were left speechless after Stevens made the remark, while gasps could be heard within the studio.
The clip was circulated on Twitter by journalist Scott Bryan, who wrote: “STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WATCH THIS MOMENT FROM THE ONE SHOW.”
One repost came from former Labour politician Alistair Campbell, who tweeted: “Dan Stevens take a bow …”
Actor Nicholas Pegg wrote: “A round of applause for Dan Stevens.”
“Sometimes, heroes appear where you least expect to find them!” one tweet read. “Dan Stevens, you absolute legend!”
“Dan Stevens making me glad for once I can’t find the remote,” one commenter joked.
“The One Show is a gift that keeps giving,” another Twitter user added.
One tweet read: “This is magnificent. Well done, Dan Stevens. He lives here and pays tax here so is perfectly entitled to voice an opinion.”
“Dan Stevens - take a bow for that performance on The One Show sunshine,” a commenter added.
“Hahahaha Dan Stevens is never getting on The One Show again, is he?” another viewer wrote.
Gaslit begins on 24 April, and will be available to stream in the UK on Starz Play.
