The scruffy-haired Old Etonian ex-journalist, who appears to have emerged straight from a PG Wodehouse novel, inspired a cult following with spirited performances on a satirical BBC TV show that highlighted his blustering, easygoing charm.

CNN: London mayoral election: Battle of the buses

Yet no new stars have emerged in the last decade to sweep the old guard away.

ECONOMIST: Congolese music

It means that its ancestors must have emerged from Africa (where that million-year-old common ancestor would have lived) independently of the migrations which gave rise to Neanderthals and humans.

ECONOMIST: A new species of human

The South Africa international has been linked with several English sides during the transfer window, but City have emerged as the most likely destination for the 25-year-old.

BBC: McCarthy bid in balance