The man who spoke for the nation: Widower who stole BBC debate

A grandfather who ‘summed up the mood of the nation’ during last night’s political TV debate when he confronted Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer says he still doesn’t know who he will vote for.

Lifelong Conservative supporter Robert Blackstock confronted the men during the BBC‘s final showdown – by asking them ‘Are you two really the best we’ve got?’

Reliving the moment today Mr Blackstock, 73, said: ‘I had my question written out but I was very nervous because I have never done anything like this before.

‘I was addressing the two most senior politicians in the country. I was hoping I was going to get it right and not fluff my lines!

‘But I think I did alright. I had been in a bit is a state but I got the question asked to the best of my ability.’

Speaking from his detached home in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, Mr Blackstock, a retired diesel engineer said he was ‘so caught up in the moment’ and applause from fellow audience members that he barely recalled their answers.

He said he had to watch it again on TV this morning.

‘The replies came back fairly quickly but I missed some of them, but I had the show pre-recorded so watched it earlier,’ he said.

Mr Blackstock – fondly known as Bob – said the attention he has received since from friends, family and media has been ‘absolutely amazing.’

As he left the make-shift studio at Nottingham Trent University audience members applauded him and patted him on the shoulder.

He smiled: ‘People leant forward, saying ‘spot on’, ‘well done’ and ‘good question.’

‘It made me feel a lot better because I knew I had got it right.

‘I then went to the spin room where I was interviewed about my question by top political journalists, and I thought to myself ‘What the Hell have you done?’

‘It was an amazingly and unforgettable experience.’

Edinburgh-born Mr Blackstock, who has two grown up sons and two grandchildren, told how he has been bombarded with texts and messages from impressed pals and relatives.

He said: ‘I read all my news on MailOnline and that’s where I get all the political commentary and when I read the headline today about an “audience member stealing the show” I was amazed!

‘It was just an ordinary question from an ordinary guy and now it’s gone viral. I don’t do social media but I’ve heard it’s gone wild!

‘Folks I’ve not spoken to in ages have suddenly texted me to say ‘super question’ and ‘great.’

‘The only people who knew I had been selected to ask a question were my two sons and nobody else. I’ve not had a chance to speak to them yet about it as I’ve been so busy doing interviews.

‘I’m even mussing my granddaughter’s sports day this afternoon but I’ve got a reasonable excuse!’

Devoted family man Mr Blackstock’s lounge is adorned with pictures of his sons, daughter-in law and grandkids and his beloved wife Josephine, who died six years ago from cancer, aged 68.

He also has a framed photograph of him proudly standing outside Downing Street during a memorable trip there in August last year.

Asked by our reporter who he wanted to see go through that door after next Thursday’s general election, he replied: ‘That is the 64,000 dollar question!’

He confessed: ‘I really don’t know but it will be between Sunak and Starmer. I am still undecided. I will wait until election day to see what I can glean. I read MailOnline every day on my iPad. I look at all the news and political story.

Mr Blackstock continued: ‘I pride myself that I gave exercised my constitutional and democratic right to vote in every election – general, local and I voted for Brexit which the government should have made better.

‘I have always voted Conservative, as my wife did, but now I am very much undecided. I take to other people and they are undecided too.

‘If will be a last throw of the dice for many!

‘That is worrying the Labour Party and if they win they may not get the biggest landslide they face been expecting.

‘For me it will be between Sunak and Starmer. I thought about voting for Nigel Farage but his comments on Putin really persuaded me against him.’

Mr Blackstock admitted he was overwhelmed by his newfound fame but was ‘loving every minute.’

Asked how his late wife of 40 years would have thought about the sudden attention and publicity, he said: ‘She would not have relished it! But she would be quite happy not sad.’

‘I never expected to get all this attention. I’ve been interviewed by local radio, the BBC and other media. It’s been an amazing experience.’

Mr Blackstock said: ‘In 24 hours I’ve gone from being just an ordinary guy no one knew and know I’ve gone viral. It’s bonkers!’

He told how he had enjoyed a ‘comfortable life’ through hard graft and retired aged 65 after working for just three companies.

He explained: ‘I am fortunate that I have sufficiently funds to fund my lifestyle.

‘I enjoy walking and taking holidays. I’ve been to Scotland this year and I’m off walking in Tuscany in September and then in Poland with my youngest son October.’

Mr Blackstock, who lives alone in the same home he and his wife had bought as a new build in 1992, added: ‘I’ve just booked up Cyprus in August 2025 with me eldest son and his family to celebrate my 75th birthday.’

Mr Blackstock’s favourite British Prime Minister is Margaret Thatcher because ‘she stuck to her guns’ and ‘called a spade a spade’ but he added: ‘I was a lot younger then and appreciated different things.’

He has two sons – Iain, 45, a temporary Chief Inspector with Nottinghamshire Police. He lives in the county with his wife, a police officer with neighbouring Derbyshire force and their two children, Noah, 14, and Rosie, 10.

His younger son Andrew, 41, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, is an Inspector with Government body CQC.

The new debate hero believes his life will ‘probably not be affected directly’ by a Labour victory or Tory return.

He said: ‘But what will happen in the next 10, 15, 20 years will impinge directly on my two grandchildren. But they will not know any difference.

‘The good times for this country, for me personally, were in 1986 and life got a whole lot better. I enjoyed my job which benefited my marriage.

‘I was married for 41 years before my wife, who had worked as a secretary at the local junior school, passed away. We had a lot of happy memories.’

He added: ‘I worry about my grandchildren’s future in broken Britain.

‘If Starmer gets in it will not affect me drastically because I’m at the wrong end of life. You think you’re going to live forever!

‘But taxes will affect me – inheritance, council, car and others.’

After his key question ‘are you two really the best we’ve got to be the next prime minister of our great country? – he admitted: ‘I was disappointed with their response.

‘As Britain’s Premier you have to serve this country proudly and wisely and have a presence on the world stage.

‘I am still debating in my mind who I think our next Prime Minister should be!’