Wigan-born reporter Kay Burley interviews empty chair after Tory chairman pulls out of interview

Wigan-born Sky News presenter Kay Burley has earned praise and criticism in equal measure after asking questions to an empty chair, after the Conservative Party chairman she was due to interview ducked out.
By Liam Soutar
Published 6th Nov 2019, 11:13 BST
Kay Burley sits next to an empty chair where Tory chairman James Cleverly should have been sittingKay Burley sits next to an empty chair where Tory chairman James Cleverly should have been sitting
Kay Burley sits next to an empty chair where Tory chairman James Cleverly should have been sitting

Kay, who is originally from Beech Hill, was expecting to grill the Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly live on air this morning, only for him to reportedly back out.

So instead, she decided to run through all of the questions she planned to ask him regarding several controversies including Boris Johnson comparing Jeremy Corbyn to Stalin, and Jacob Rees-Mogg's derided comments that the Grenfell Tower victims should have used "common sense" to flee the burning building.

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She said: "There is an empty chair here. It was supposed to be filled by the chairman of the Conservative party.

“Where is he? He is probably 15 feet away from from where I am standing just at the moment. I have been in to see him during the break.

The stunt attracted praise but also criticism from some who said Cleverly was never meant to appear on Sky News, claims which Kay refuted.

She said: “He said he wasn’t due to come and talk to us today, although they had said they would talk to us.”

Related topics:WiganJames CleverlyJeremy CorbynBoris JohnsonJacob Rees-Mogg