This man just called Boris Johnson a ‘penguin’ and he has the perfect explanation

This man just described Boris Johnson as a penguin on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show. Photograph: BBC. - Credit: Archant

A focus group asked to compare politicians to animals has come up with some unexpected ideas when they discussed Boris Johnson.

A panel of 13 mostly undecided voters was brought was together for BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show, in a live focus group session aiming to represent a variety of political and social positions.

Asked to liken different politicians to animals, for Boris Johnson they came up with quite a few comparisons, including a cat, a lion, a labrador, an eagle, several types of bear … and a penguin.

The man explained: “I actually said penguin. Because they push other penguins into the water just in case there’s a predator in the water, like a shark. And I feel like he tries to put the blame on someone else before it gets to him.”

Theresa May is yet to comment.

A focus group member has compared Boris Johnson to a penguin like this one at ZSL London Zoo. Picture: Lauren Hurley/PA Archive/PA Images – Credit: PA Archive/PA Images

While the prime minister brought to mind an array of other noble and likeable animals for the panel, for some of them the reasoning wasn’t as flattering as it sounds.

One woman said: “For Boris Johnson I put that he is like an eagle,” said one panellist. But her reasoning wasn’t as flattering as it sounds.

“Because sometimes stuff that he says and stuff that he does, he just goes straight in for it. He’s quite focused on what he wants and not what everyone around him wants. He’s very much one-sided.”

Penguin lovers who feel that the Boris Johnson comparison is too insulting will be relieved to know that the “pushy” behaviour is a myth.

If Boris Johnson was an animal, what would he be?

Watch one of our focus group explain why they chose penguin. pic.twitter.com/qLIVME57eN
— Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) November 13, 2019

Penguin expert Lloyd Spencer David has said that they “definitely do not” do this, explaining on his website: “What happens is that penguins like Adelie Penguins congregate at the water’s edge – and despite their marvellous adaptations for a life in water, they can often appear reluctant to enter it.”