Pictures emerge of Boris Johnson posing with troupe behind bare-bottomed monkey costume

Remember that sleep paralysis demon monkey? The rainbow-coloured one? With a bare bum? And fake penis?

Of course you do. How could you not? Life is now split into two distinct eras. BM – before monkey – and AM - after monkey. Our lives will never be the same after seeing that rainbow-coloured NSFW primate. Never.

Anyway, Boris Johnson has now been linked to the acting troupe responsible for it now because, why not?

In a Pulitzer worthy investigation, The Sun has dug up photos of the Prime Minister posing with animals from Mandinga Arts while he was the Mayor of London in 2008 and we are sure it will become his press office’s top priority to spin as surely a public outcry is merely pending.

Boris Johnson pictured while launching the Thames Festival in 2008Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock

In case it’s passed you by, Goodmayes Library in Redbridge, east London invited an actor in a rainbow monkey costume with a fake penis and bare bum to the launch event of a children’s wholesome educational reading challenge, and in doing so created an absolute s**t storm:

Local Labour MP Wes Streeting asked how “anyone involved – including your staff – thought that a costume described by one national journalist – with depressing accuracy – as a ‘Rainbow Dildo Butt Monkey’ was appropriate for family audiences around our libraries and public realm, let alone a festival aimed at promoting literacy amongst children.”

And a local councillor lost his rag:

The library apologised as did Mandinga Arts who, on a blog posted to their website, said that the costume had been “retired”.

They said: “Over nineteen years we have positively collaborated with local residents and public bodies to deliver colourful and celebratory characters and in this case, we undoubtedly got it wrong. Our lack of judgement in the choice of costume is one we deeply regret, having profoundly undermined our relationship with partners and the public.

“In the future, we will hold ourselves to a higher standard when determining the suitability of a costume. Although the monkey was well-received at carnival events with a mixed audience, it was entirely unsuitable for a children’s event and should never have been used. The monkey costume has also been retired.”

But it now appears the troupe’s influence has spread further than just east London and one particular monkey from the group could be whispering in the most powerful ear in Westminster. We expect it to receive government contracts soon, or perhaps a seat in the House of Lords. (Not)

Regardless, this monkey is now receiving more public scrutiny than half the cabinet so surely it is only a matter of time before Keir Starmer brings it up at PMQs.

This story is getting more and more bananas by the day.