George Galloway checked into the Big Brother house last night for the latest controversial instalment of his political career. "Gorgeous George", as the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow has been described, has told producers his favourite things are his "daughter, sunbathing and sex"."Preferably, all at the same time."
The MP, who was thrown out of the Labour Party and founded his own instead, left politics off his list. But he stood at the top of the steps on his way into Channel 4's reality television house, held his fingers aloft in a victory sign and shouted "Stop the war". He was greeted by a chorus of boos.
Inside the house, he introduced himself to fellow "celebrities", saying: "I'm an MP." He enjoyed a prolonged handshake with Faria Alam, the former mistress of England coach Sven Goran Eriksson, and then went to speak to the red-haired actress Rula Lenska.
Claiming he had "no game plan other than to entertain and inform", Mr Galloway said politics was "showbiz for ugly people". He is playing for the charity InterPal, which provides humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and said he would "take the opportunity to speak for a more civilised way of life".
"For instance, in civilised Palestinian society this scenario would be familiar to a visitor - bundled out of a car for house arrest with no idea as to time of release, no information allowed from the outside, large sums of money changing hands behind the scenes..."