Question Time audience member 'goes rogue' as Fiona Bruce struggles to keep calm

once had a audience member "go rogue" - and had to take drastic action to contain the room. Having hosted the flagship politics programme since 2019, taking over from longest-serving presenter David Dimbleby, Fiona admitted she has to be prepared for anything on the topical debate programme.

With real voters making up the audience, questions are screened before being presented to the politicians and panellists on-stage. Each episode, bosses select a "local audience which reflect a broad range of political views", according to the BBC website. Fans can submit an application form online and will be asked questions about their previous voting record and future intentions, along with any party memberships and how they voted in the EU referendum.

On the night, audience members write and submit their own questions, with the production team selecting some from a pool to be asked. The site adds: "Throughout the programme, audience members are also given the opportunity by the chair to ask further spontaneous questions to the panel, or, of course, to make their own comments."

But Fiona was left adrift during one episode. In her column for The Spectator, she admitted things often go wrong - but the hardest variable to control is the audience. When she flew out to Philadelphia for a special episode, she said: "I'm more worried about the studio audience, since they will be unfamiliar with the format.

"Will they speak up enough and get stuck in? Perhaps I should have other concerns. I'm told every member of the audience will be frisked for guns. Blimey. The most I normally have to worry about is people getting overexcited and shouting. QT in Rotherham next week is going to feel like a meeting of the local WI."

She went on: "The panel don't see any of the questions beforehand, which can make for a very nervous green room. In the end, I have to accept that much is beyond my control. Not long after I'd started on QT, a woman went rogue and instead of asking the question she'd submitted, she wanted to talk about the closure of her local cattery."