Paxman, Lumley 'refused to host HIGNFY'

Jeremy Paxman and Joanna Lumley have reportedly turned down the opportunity to host Have I Got News For You.

The current affairs panel show uses rotating guest hosts but its executive producer Richard Wilson has now revealed that he has not been able to sign up all of his dream guests.

"We have a wish list of presenters who we have asked on lots of times, but they keep refusing," he told the Daily Mail.

"It includes John Prescott, Joanna Lumley and Jeremy Paxman. We must have asked Paxman hundreds of times, but he said he would rather have his testicles crushed between two bricks so please stop asking."

However, Wilson added that there a number of hosts who happily return to the show.

"We have a repertory company now of rotating presenters including Jeremy Clarkson, Kirsty Young, Jack Dee, Jo Brand, Alexander Armstrong and Martin Clunes," he said. "Young Boris [Johnson] will be back after he ceases to be London mayor."

He also revealed that he is surprised the show has lasted so long but said that he does not intend to change much about the programme.

"As long as Ian [Hislop] and Paul [Merton] enjoy doing it and have an appetite for it and we have an audience, it will go on," he explained. "Why muck around with it? Apart from a new carpet, we haven't fiddled with it very much. It's the third carpet we've had since the start."

Have I Got Election News For You is on tonight at 8.30pm on BBC One.