Journalist made Meat Loaf joke to ask about Boris Johnson's leadership but No 10 weren't impressed

A journalist made a Meat Loaf related pun to ask a question about Boris Johnson’s position as Prime Minister, but the Number 10 press team weren’t having any of it.

Today (21 January), it was announced the American singer known as Meat Loaf has died at the age of 74.

His famous 1977 debut album Bat Out of Hell is one of the best-selling albums of all time and its title became part of a joke to Number 10 at the expense of Johnson.

Chief political correspondent for the Financial Times, Jim Pickard, described what happened in a tweet.

He wrote that the exchange at this morning's lobby briefing went as follows:

"Journalist: ‘final one, does the PM think he has a bat out of hell's chance of leading the Conservative party into the next election or will he be gone, gone, gone?’

“Spokesman: (pause) ‘I will point you to the PM's remarks during PMQs earlier this week’.”

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Pickard clarified that the joke came at the final question after “about 90 entirely serious” ones had been posed by members the press.

In the comments, people contributed their own Meat Loaf related puns.

One person wrote: “Understand Jim was offered this question but declined saying ‘I'd do anything for work, but I won't do that.’”

Another reworked the lyrics to Bat Out of Hell to include the “1922 Committee” – the chairman of the committee is who receives MP letters of no confidence.

They wrote: “‘And like a sinner before the gates of heaven, has the PM come crawling back to the 1922 Committee to beg to remain in situ?’”

People also poked fun at the rather unsporting response to the question from the Number 10 spokesperson.

One person said: “I’d say these people don’t know how to party but that’s sort of the problem.”

Another wrote: “Lobby 1 - 0 PM's Spokesman.”

Someone else commented: “This is the level we’re working at.

“Even a lighthearted, ‘and finally' question gets a rehearsed non-answer.”