'GB News might be a tougher gig than Boris Johnson expects'

Opinion, comment and editorials of the day

Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, is set to return to public life as a GB News presenter
(Image credit: Stanislav Ivanov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

TV made Boris Johnson, but will it now break him?

Will Lloyd for The Times

Boris Johnson's "charismatic" appearance on "EastEnders" in 2009 was "peak Johnson", says Will Lloyd for The Times. Television was where he "whetted his image, flattered the nation, and won his fame". But as he joins GB News, he "returns to a changed media landscape" and it "might be a tougher gig than he expects", says Lloyd. "In the old days television made him. On GB News it's much more likely to break him."

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Let Matthew Perry's legacy be those he helped with addiction

Adam Bloodworth for The Independent

Matthew Perry's death shocked fans of "Friends", sparking memories of his "pitch-perfect embodiment of the hilarious but skittish and vulnerable" Chandler Bing, writes Adam Bloodworth for The Independent. But it is Perry's ability to "change the narrative" on addiction and "the way we humanise it" for which he should be truly remembered. "Could he have been a more relatable role model for any of us who struggle with anything at all?", Bloodworth adds. "I don't think so."

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Europe's chaotic response to the Israel-Hamas war reveals how weak it is – to its enemies' delight

Nathalie Tocci for The Guardian

Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel is a "turning point in the unravelling of Europe's role in the world", argues Nathalie Tocci for The Guardian. While governments "rose to the challenge" with Ukraine, the Middle East war "brutally exposed Europe's contradictions", as some nations back aid for Palestinians while others support "the need for Israel to defend itself". Although the "crumbling of European unity" may "ultimately be a footnote" in history, Tocci adds, "it should be more". 

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Democrats' all-purpose message for 2024: Defeat MAGA chaos

Jennifer Rubin for The Washington Post

To beat Donald Trump, Joe Biden must stress "that MAGA Republicans bring violence, disorder, chaos and gridlock", says Jennifer Rubin for The Washington Post. Given many are "agents of anarchy, destruction and dysfunction", this should be simple. But it is easy to forget how "exhausting" the Trump presidency was, Rubin adds. If he hopes to win again, Biden must remind Americans that democracies are "far more stable" than governments "in the thrall of a narcissistic cult leader".

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