Alex Salmond is all smiles despite US chat show gaffe

By TOM PETERKIN
Published on 20/06/2012 16:13

ALEX Salmond was in jovial form when he appeared on the famous Late Late Show during his visit to America, even if he did somehow manage to confuse New York with Washington.

Mr Salmond mixed up the glamour of New York’s Broadway with Washington’s Capitol Hill when he was interviewed by the chat-show’s host, the expat Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson. The First Minister told Ferguson that he had been to New York, making the observation that it was a “big place”. When asked if he had managed to take in a show there, Mr Salmond answered “no” before adding: “...the senate and the House of Representatives, does that qualify?”

Ferguson corrected him saying: “No... that’s Washington. I’m talking about New York. I’m talking about Broadway.”

Mr Salmond answered questions from viewers and laughed with the audience when Ferguson discarded one, which began: “I am an Englishman”. The First Minister also made a “political promise” to get a viewer a tee-off time on the Old Course, St Andrews.

He teased his host, who plays Lord MacIntosh in the Brave animation, pointing out that his character had been described as “surly” and that he was in danger of being typecast.