The Week's Election Night Bingo

published 8 June 2017

Election night - or "Westminster's X-factor", as the BBC has it - is almost upon us.

After the media blackout during voting, broadcasting begins again a little before 10pm, when the BBC, ITV and Sky will air their traditional results programmes and Channel 4 offers up another instalment of its popular Alternative Election Night, which this year will be fronted by Jeremy Paxman and David Mitchell.

Heightened security measures at polling booths and TV studios following the London Bridge and Manchester Arena terror attacks may make the tone of election night programmes more sombre than usual, but some things are likely to remain unchanged. Viewers will still see "a never-ending thrill ride where the direction of a swingometer can leave a long-standing back bencher in tears and even the most experienced pollster in a state of shock", the BBC says.