Emily Maitlis and The Rest Is Politics to host Channel 4 election night coverage

Channel 4 has hired The News Agents’ Emily Maitlis to present its general election results coverage alongside the Rest Is Politics’ Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart.

The show, made by Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger Productions, has been wildly profitable for its co-hosts – the former Labour director of communications Alastair Campbell and ex-Tory MP Rory Stewart.

In the past, Channel 4 has gone against the grain by hosting an “Alternative Election Night” featuring comedians providing satirical commentary in front of a live studio audience.

The studio audience loudly booed the exit poll showing a large Tory majority, Jimmy Carr attempted political analysis and Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley, was barracked while arguing with Robert Michael “Judge” Rinder about whether female fighter jet pilots could go to war while wearing burkhas.

This time Channel 4 is playing it safer, handing production duties to ITN and promising straight election analysis from Clare Balding and political editor Gary Gibbon – albeit mixed with contributions from the stars of Gogglebox.

He is not expected to return to the corporation and Mastermind host Clive Myrie is widely predicted by BBC News employees to be given the job of announcing who has won the election.