David Tennant jokes about "bad news" for Staged season 3 as he guest hosts Have I Got News For You

As lockdown restrictions are eased on Monday, the actor makes a quip about its consequences for the hit BBC series, which is filmed via Zoom.

“This is the easing of COVID restrictions. Bad news for everyone hoping for a third series of BBC smash hit lockdown series Staged… but fingers crossed, the pandemic could still all go wrong again,” Tennant jokes in the episode.

He continues: “Monday will also see the reopening of hairdressers, many of whom have undergone COVID re-training. Presumably learning to ask customers, ‘Not going anywhere nice for your holidays again this year?’.”

“Some theme parks have taken the opportunity to upgrade their rides during the COVID pandemic. For example, the water ride at Thorpe Park now has a massive third wave machine.”

In Staged, Tennant starred alongside Michael Sheen in the first two seasons, in which the Good Omens co-stars played exaggerated versions of themselves.

Tennant is joined tonight by panellists Jack Dee and Helen Lewis, alongside regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton.

The panel show episode, which was filmed in front of a virtual audience, also includes gags about the AstraZeneca vaccine and Keir Starmer's first year as Labour leader.

“This is the first anniversary of Keir Starmer becoming Labour leader and successfully bringing the party together in thinking that… he's not doing a very good job,” jokes Tennant. “What have been the highlight of Keir Starmer’s first year?”

“He's the leader of the opposition, is he?” quips Dee, continuing: “He’s been doing it for a year now, probably the toughest time ever in peacetime to become leader of the opposition because basically everyone wants the government to succeed, because everyone knows that if they don't, we die. So if you're going to be the opposition, you can’t say ‘we’re the opposition, we actually think everyone should die’.”

The episode was recorded on the evening of Thursday 8th April, and was originally due to air the following night. However, the BBC schedules were suspended on Friday evening, following the news that the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip had died.

Have I Got A Bit More News For You will air on BBC Two tonight, Monday 12th April, at 10pm.

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