Boris Johnson has endured a chaotic time since he took up the reins as prime minister almost 1,000 days ago.
The divisive Tory chief succeeded Theresa May in July 2019 with a promise to voters that he would ‘Get Brexit Done’.
For the past two years he has been forced to lead Britain through the Covid pandemic and in recent months has faced calls to quit after breaking his own lockdown rules.
Never averse to controversy, here are some of the most infamous moments to emerge from his tenure as he approaches 1,000 days in the job on Tuesday.
1- Partygate
Boris Johnson was rapped for breaking his own lockdown rules this week – two years after he demanded the nation to stay home due to Covid.
The prime minister’s excuses have crumbled since he insisted in December that no government staff breached restrictions.
He was fined along with his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak for attending his own birthday party in June 2020.
The Tory chief also hosted a No10 garden bash during lockdown which he insisted had been a “work event”.
Despite breaking his own Covid laws, the prime minister has remained defiant and insists he will not resign.
2 – Barnard Castle
Long before it was known the prime minister had breached restrictions, his chief aide Dominic Cummings came under fire for doing so.
The top adviser journeyed north with his family while he had Covid symptoms and claimed a drive to Barnard Castle had been to test his eyesight.
Mr Johnson stood by his key ally even as Mr Cummings endured calls to quit and held an unprecedented press conference in Downing Street’s rose garden.
Months later their partnership erupted as the chief Brexit architect quit his role in spectacular fashion.
Since then Mr Cummings has become an avid critic of his old boss.
3 – ‘Peppa Pig World is my kind of place’
Boris Johnson has never been a politician to shy away from talking up Britain, especially in the wake of Brexit.
But he reached new heights last November when he claimed Peppa Pig World demonstrated “the power of UK creativity”.
The prime minister showed his admiration for the children’s cartoon and insisted he “loved” the family theme park.
He had gone off on the tangent while giving a speech to business chiefs about electric cars.
The Tory leader was filmed mumbling “forgive me” several times as he fumbled with his notes during the address.
4 – ‘I shook hands with everybody’
By March 2020, scientists were warning the public to avoid unnecessary contact as Covid started to rip through the nation.
But in a bizarre boast during a press conference Boris Johnson revealed he had continued shaking hands with staff and patients when he visited a hospital.
He had done so despite knowing there were patients who had coronavirus in wards.
Weeks later the prime minister caught Covid himself and was left fighting for his life in intensive care.
5 – ‘I make models of buses’
Every top politician needs some time to switch off and plenty have indulged in their own unique hobbies over the years.
Nicola Sturgeon is never shy to show off her love of literature, while Labour leader Keir Starmer is a lifelong Arsenal fan.
But as he was fighting to become prime minister in 2019, Boris Johnson confessed he had an altogether more unusual pastime.
The prime minister revealed he enjoys painting model buses with crates – but seemed incapable of explaining exactly how it works.
A conspiracy theory later claimed he made up the hobby to sideline stories of the £350 million NHS bus pledge during the 2016 Brexit campaign.
6 – Hiding in a fridge
Politicians have never been averse to dodging the media when they don’t want to face tough questioning.
But the prime minister took it to a new level on the final day of campaigning before the 2019 election when he decided to hide in a fridge to avoid a grilling.
The Tory leader neglected to answer questions from Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain and decided to cool off for a bit instead.
7 – ‘You’ve taken my phone’
The prime minister found another unique way to deflect from tough questions during the 2019 election drive – by simply taking a journalist’s phone.
Reporter Joe Pike had tried to show Mr Johnson a photo of a young boy sleeping on a hospital floor due to a lack of beds.
But instead of looking at the picture, the prime minister instead simply pocketed the journalist’s phone when it was handed to him.
8 – ‘Let the bodies pile high’
After their fallout, former adviser Dominic Cummings claimed Boris Johnson said he would rather “let the bodies pile high” than order another lockdown.
The ex-Tory aide savaged the prime minister’s response to the pandemic and branded him a “joke”.
The prime minister insisted he did not made the comments as his feud with Mr Cummings escalated.
9 – Attempt to suspend parliament
Boris Johnson had barely entered Britain’s top political office when he started generating controversy.
The prime minister tried to prorogue parliament in autumn 2019 in the lead-up to Britain’s planned departure from the EU.
But the decision was later ruled to be unlawful by judges as the Tory leader struggled to force through his Brexit agenda.
The UK would not end up leaving the EU officially until January 2020, after the Conservatives had secured a majority in a general election.
10 – Flat refurbishment row
The prime minister and his wife also came under fire over work done to their private flat at 11 Downing Street.
Dominic Cummings claimed his former boss had arranged for Tory donors to cover costs for refurbishments at the residence.
The prime minister receives £30,000 each year to fund renovations of their official flat, but the work ended up costing more than £100,000 once completed.
A report cleared Mr Johnson of breaking the ministerial code, but the Tories received a fine for not accurately reporting donations.