James O’Brien: Angela Rayner, Matt Hancock, Chris Bryant Sit In (LBC)
Lauren Laverne: Annie Macmanus Sits In (BBC 6 Music) | BBC Sounds
Chris Hawkins: Deb Grant Sits In (BBC 6 Music) | BBC Sounds
It’s always tricky being an understudy. Stepping into a star’s regular role means necessarily disappointing an audience (“Who’s that, then?”); plus, the big stage isn’t the stand-in’s everyday habitat, which can’t be good for the nerves. Still, there are those who rise to the occasion. Yes, I’m thinking of Ed Miliband, covering for Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 in 2017. If you don’t recall this seminal radio moment, Miliband sang along to death metal, earnestly discussed toilet flushes and generally got on with whatever the producers chucked at him. He was brilliant.
