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Brian Cox channels Logan Roy as he tells Boris Johnson to “f**k off”

The 'Succession' star reprised the iconic character's voice as he criticised the PM

By Joe Goggins

Brian Cox poses in a Carafe scarf
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Dmitry Rozhkov)

Last November, Brian Cox said he’d love to tell Boris Johnson to “f**k off” in the style of one of his most iconic characters, Logan Roy.

Now, in a new video message, the veteran actor has made good on his pledge. Summoning the spirit of his ruthless ‘Succession’ patriarch, Cox has had his say on the embattled prime minster, and has not minced his words.

During an interview on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine Show, Cox said: “Listen, Boris, I think you really need psychiatric help. You’re a compulsive liar and a country really does not need a compulsive liar running the show. So, if I was you, I would f**k off.”

Johnson continues to cling to power, in the face of public fury over the Partygate scandal, his false claim that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was personally responsible for failing to bring Jimmy Savile to justice during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions, and most recently, yesterday’s (February 3) slew of high-profile resignations within Downing Street. His approval ratings are at an all-time low.

Cox had previously weighed in on the state of UK politics last year. Speaking to Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live, he called Johnson “a wee fat kid who did good”. The comments came weeks after the actor’s namesake, Professor Brian Cox, told Science Focus that he’d like to launch Johnson into space. 

Cox also laid into former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 5 Live interview, saying he had “the charisma of a failed geography teacher”, and expressed support for Scottish independence. In his starring role on the acclaimed ‘Succession’, the seasoned thespian has won a new generation of fans, with “f**k off” his character’s catchphrase.

Now 75, the Dundee native does not appear to be becoming more mellow with age. In the appearance on the BBC’s ‘Question Time’ last October, he summed up the climate crisis in succinct terms, telling the Glasgow studio audience that “we’re in deep shit.” The same month, he released his memoir, ‘Putting the Rabbit in the Hat’, in which he called Johnny Depp “overblown” and “overrated”.