Eddie Izzard: best London Mayor ever?

There are some who already think current London Mayor Boris Johnson is a bit of a joker, thanks to his penchant for dad dancing to the Spice Girls and hanging from a zip wire. Now, however, it seems there’s a genuine comic genius ready to step into the role, with Eddie Izzard confirming his intention to contest the London mayoral race in 2020. Let’s take a quick look at Boris’s latest opponent…

: Eddie Izzard: best London Mayor ever?

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When Eddie made his announcement at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, the assembled crowd went wild. The Twitterati have already voiced their support for his decision, while 88% of the people polled by Time Out London said they would vote Eddie for Mayor.

Running champ

In 2009 Izzard ran 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief, after only four weeks’ training and no prior experience of running, raising £200,000 in the process. His next challenge will take him to South Africa where he aims to complete 27 marathons in 27 days to mark the 27 years Nelson Mandela spent in prison.

It’s not the kind of running experience that will help a political career but he’s certainly got grit!

Global groundbreaker

Even if he can’t win over everyone in London, Eddie has worldwide appeal. He was the first comedian to perform a one-man show at the Hollywood Bowl, and he’s also the only known English-speaking stand-up to have toured France, performing in French.

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Izzard is refreshingly honest about everything he says and does, including being arguably the nation’s most celebrated transvestite. His closet might contain some rather lovely women’s dresses, but definitely no skeletons. He even admitted that people may find him boring once he campaigns but he’s willing to risk that and wants to lead ‘with a good heart’. It’s far too early to tell yet, but it looks like Boris might be on his bike after Eddie starts his run for the role!