21 SEPTEMBER 2002, Page 35

I was never a candidate

From Mr Jeremy Paxman Newsnight's walking filing cabinet. Michael Crick, has just drawn my attention to a piece by Stephen Glover last month (Media studies, 17 August).

Mr Glover says that several years ago Private Eye alleged that I had once been on the Conservative party's candidates' list 'without ever being contradicted', This story wasn't contradicted because it wasn't seen. But, for the record, the allegation is nonsense — as are suggestions that I was on any other party's list of candidates, once played semi-professional football for Hamilton Academicals. or trained as a yogurt-pot designer. I did, though, once have a job shovelling chicken muck.

Jeremy Paxman

BBC, London W12