Have I Got News For You’s Ian Hislop reveals the ‘finest and worst visitor’ to ever grace hit BBC present

Have I Got News For You’s Ian Hislop has revealed the ‘best and worst guest’ to ever grace hit the BBC show.

The 64-year-old has been a team captain on the television panel programme, which sees the celebrity guests show off their knowledge of the weekly news topics, since it premiered in 1990. 

Over the past 35 years there have been numerous famous faces on the panel. 

And the journalist didn’t hold back when he opened up about who his favourite and least favourite person to appear on the programme was.

Speaking to the Independent at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards earlier this week, Ian said: ‘My favourite guest was William Shatner, Captain Kirk from Star Trek.

‘He had no idea who we were. 

Have I Got News For You’s Ian Hislop (left) has revealed the ‘best and worst guest’ to ever grace hit the BBC show

The journalist didn’t hold back when he opened up about who his favourite and least favourite person to appear on the programme was – William Shatner (pictured) 

‘He didn’t know any of the news stories and was incredibly funny, and he actually sang.’

Ian added: ‘He’d just released an album, so I think he was probably both the best and the worst guest ever.’

William famously guest-hosted the iconic show back in 2012, and while he left many viewers in hysterics with his quips, one comment accidentally irked residents of an English town.

The veteran actor made a controversial claim about the seaside town of Ilfracombe in Devon. 

After initially mispronouncing the name of the town, fellow panelist Charlie Brooker joked that William made it sound ‘deeply sexual’. 

William hit back: ‘The place is laced with prostitution,’ leading then town’s then-Mayor Paul Crabb to pen a letter to the actor’s representatives.

In it he invited William to visit Ilfracombe and see for himself that his remarks were completely unfounded.

He wrote: ‘As Captain James T Kirk, Mr Shatner has been to places where no man has gone before. However, the episode of Have I Got News for You clearly shows he has never been to Ilfracombe. 

William Shatner is best known for his iconic role as Captain Kirk in the 1960s sci-fi series Star Trek (pictured with the late Leonard Nimoy as Spock)

‘If he came, we could show him that there is no prostitution in Ilfracombe and that it is a lovely coastal town with spectacular scenery and a close community.’

Have I Got News For You has aired 610 episodes over 68 series. 

It was presented by Angus Deayton between 1990 and 2002 and a number of guest presenters have filled the role ever since.

Some include Alexander Armstrong, Paul Merton, Jeremy Clarkson and Charlotte Church.  

94-year-old William played Captain Kirk in the sci-fi favourite between 1966 and 1969. 

He starred on Have I Got News For You in 2012. 

The actor was joined by Paul Merton, Ian, Charlie Brooker and Andy Hamilton. 

William has appeared in various other TV shows and films. 

Some include the rest of the Star Trek franchise, Miss Congeniality, Jugement at Nuremberg, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, A Christmas Horror Story and The Wild. 

Have I Got News For You is produced by Hat Trick Productions and is filmed at Riverside Studios. 

It was originally released on BBC Two, where it aired until 2000.

After that it moved over to BBC One and has aired on there for the past 25 years. 

Have I Got News For You is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.