Alastair Campbell: My Marr wobble was 'unplanned'

08/02/2010

Former spin doctor says BBC interview not an act

Alastair Campbell has laughed off claims that his emotional “moment” on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show yesterday morning was carefully designed to show his “touchy feely” human side.

In an interview with The Big Issue, the former Downing Street communications director rejected suggestions that either he or Gordon Brown, who is said to have become very emotional during an interview with Piers Morgan, were keen to show their vulnerability.

“It is amazing to listen to people talking about how it must of been some great plan,” he said. “I can assure you there was no plan. Apparently it was all about road testing Gordon’s emotional strategy on Piers Morgan’s show.”

Some commentators have been cynical about Campbell telling Marr "I've been through a lot..." Despite messages of support, talk radio phone-ins nationwide have also been swamped with people insisting the display was more simply spin to help sell a book.

A number of pundits have also suggested Gordon Brown's reaction to Morgan's questioning (set for broadcast Sunday February 14) was planned in order to bring people round to the beleaguered PM and hasten an election before the presumed May 6 date.

Campbell explained the pressure he had been under as a result of the

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inquiry, and why he became visibly upset by Marr’s relentless questioning. “Having been through the Chilcot inquiry…then you unwind a bit, and even though I was there (on The Andrew Marr Show) out of choice to talk about the novel, I had the feeling that ‘Oh God, I’m back in this bloody media bubble again’.

"I had this feeling that’s there’s nothing I can say that’s remotely going to persuade Andrew Marr – it’s almost become a dialogue of the deaf.”

Read the full interview in next week’s Big Issue – out on Monday February 15.