No 10: Jenga-style lectern replaced and Hot Podium Guy makes return

Rishi Sunak made his first address as the new prime minister on Tuesday which saw a new lectern outside No 10 Downing Street and the highly anticipated return of the so-called Hot Podium Guy.

The UK has had six prime ministers since 2010 and each has chosen a different lectern, perhaps reflecting their personalities. Mr Sunak had chosen a “solid and stable” lectern, maybe a symbol of what is to come, as he confirmed he would strive to “fix” mistakes made by the Government.

Boris Johson’s successor Liz Truss did not have the best of luck with hers. The lectern she chose - a wavy, “Jenga-like” column - had to be covered in a black bin bag during her first day in office due to heavy rain.

The twists and turns in the design foreshadowed the drama to come during her brief time as prime minister.

Ms Truss’s exit and Mr Sunak’s first speech today also involved the return of Hot Podium Guy, the sound engineer whose real name is Tobias Gough.

Mr Gough has gained a dedicated fanbase after being spotted on TV helping to set up the lectern outside No 10 on several occasions. Many people expressed their disappointment when he was out of sight during Ms Truss’s resignation speech last week.

Mr Gough’s presence on Tuesday was celebrated on Twitter after he was spotted on BBC News’ live broadcast at No 10 behind celebrated newsreader Huw Edwards.

One person said: “Another outing for hot podium guy! What a time for British politics.”

Another person said: “Hot No10. Podium Guy is really earning his salary this year”.

A third added: “For the sake of social media searching HOT PODIUM GUY IS BACK!”

Some others took the opportunity to make a joke about Ms Truss’s lectern.

One user tweeted: “Probably took longer to build Truss’s stickle bricks lectern than she was in office.”

Another user joked: “New new lectern ……. the Conservatives are certainly stimulating the lectern industry.”

Taxpayers have paid for four different government lecterns in six years as each prime minister has opted for an increasingly outlandish design. Each lectern can take about three weeks to manufacture and cost between £2,000 and £4,000, depending on its style and the speed needed to build it.