Prime Minister swaps dispatch box for Gogglebox
Two Labour mayors who spend their working lives arguing over budgets and buses are going to sit on a sofa and be watched while they watch telly. That's the whole appeal, and it works. Burnham and Rotheram have a genuine, long-running friendship that survives the Manchester-Liverpool football divide, and that's exactly the kind of human moment charity specials are built on.
I think it's a smart booking. Politicians get an easy chance to show a lighter side without a press office scripting every line, and the charity gets two recognisable faces who genuinely seem to enjoy each other's company. The North West rivalry is a gift for this format, too. You can almost guarantee someone will mention football, and the producers will milk it.
What I'd want to know is what they'll actually be watching. Give them a tense drama and you get one show, put on a comedy and you get another. Either way, it's a harmless bit of fun for a good cause, and it beats another round of studio interviews about levelling up. I just hope nobody makes them sit through the news.