NOW, WE'RE USUALLY A PRETTY SILLY, LIGHTHEARTED PROGRAM, BUT
IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME FOR JUST A MOMENT, I NEED TO GET MY JOHN
OLIVER ON.
> IS THAT OKAY IF I GET
MY JOHN OLIVER ON?
I'M DOING IT, JOHN!
"I'M DOING IT, JOHN!
I'M DOING IT, CAROL!
I'M (BLEEP) DOING IT!
IF YOU'RE VOICING A CHARACTER IN "THE LION KING," THEN I GET TO
BE SERIOUS FOR A SECOND!" ( LAUGHTER )
RIGHT, WHERE WERE WE?
TWO YEARS BACK, WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS SHOW TO LONDON FOR THE
FIRST TIME, WE ARRIVED JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE GRENFELL
TOWER FIRE.
THIS FIRE WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST DISASTERS TO STRIKE THIS COUNTRY
SINCE THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
FOR THE VIEWERS BACK IN AMERICA WHO MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR, THE
GRENFELL TOWER WAS AN APARTMENT BUILDING THAT CAUGHT FIRE AND
BURNT FOR OVER 60 HOURS.
72 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND OVER 200 PEOPLE WERE LEFT WITHOUT
PERMANENT SHELTER.
THE GRENFELL FIRE WAS AS DEADLYN BECAUSE THE CONTRACTORS USED
CHEAP MATERIALS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND REFURBISHING OF
THE BUILDING.
INCLUDING AN ALUMINUM COMPOSITE CLADDING, OR AS THEY CALL IT IN
AMERICA, ALUMINUM SIDING, THAT TURNED OUT TO BE MORE FLAMMABLE
THAN ANYONE COULD EVER EXPECT.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T AWARE, GRENFELL, AND PUBLIC
BUILDINGS LIKE GRENFELL, HOUSE SOME OF BRITAIN'S LOWEST-INCOME
CITIZENS.
PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO PUTTING
A ROOF OVER THEIR FAMILY'S HEADS.
USING CHEAP MATERIALS IN THE BUILDING POTENTIALLY SAVED THE
CONSTRUCTION HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN COSTS, SAVINGS THEY
PROMPTLY USED TO BUILD GRENFELL TOWER A NEW COMPUTER LAB, A
MERRY-GO-ROUND AND A DOG PARK.
I'M KIDDING.
OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T.
THEY USED CHEAP MATERIALS AND SAVED MONEY.
APPARENTLY, NON-FLAMMABLE CLADDING IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE
TO SPECIFY AND PAY EXTRA FOR.
LIKE GETTING AN EXTRA B.B.Q.
SAUCE WITH YOUR CHICKEN NUGGETS.
HERE'S WHAT'S CRAZY.
THAT CLADDING ON GRENFELL TOWER THAT WENT UP LIKE A MATCH?
IT ACTUALLY MET BUILDING CODES AT THE TIME.
IT WAS DEADLY, BUT PERFECTLY LEGAL.
NOW THIS HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO, SO WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING
ABOUT IT?
THE FIRST YEAR WE WERE HERE, WE CAME TO LONDON DAYS BEFORE THE
GRENFELL TRAGEDY.
LAST YEAR, WE ARRIVED ON THE DAY OF A BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL.
THIS YEAR, JUST AFTER WE ARRIVED, I READ A REPORT THAT
SHOOK ME.
IT TURNS OUT THAT SAME KIND OF CLADDING THAT WAS USED AT
GRENFELL IS STILL IN USE IN OVER 300 HIGH RISE AND PUBLIC
BUILDINGS IN BRITAIN.
BUILDINGS WHICH, AGAIN, ARE OCCUPIED PRIMARILY BY LOW-INCOME
FAMILIES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
IMAGINE PUTTING YOUR CHILD TO BED IN ONE OF THESE BUILDINGS,
KNOWING THE ONLY THING THAT'S KEEPING ANOTHER GRENFELL FROM
HAPPENING IS, I DON'T KNOW, HOPE, I GUESS?
GOOD LUCK, MAYBE?
HOPE AND GOOD LUCK IS A PERFECTLY FINE PLAN IF YOU'RE
CHOOSING TO MAKE A PAVLOVA FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE BAKE OFF,
BUT AS FAR AS KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE, IT IS SHAMEFULLY
INADEQUATE.
NOW, IT'S LOOKING LIKE BRITAIN'S SOON-TO-BE NEW PRIME MINISTER
WILL BE BORIS JOHNSON.
( AUDIENCE REACTS ) AMERICANS, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO
THAT IS, HERE HE IS HERE.
( LAUGHTER ) IT'S NEVER GOOD WHEN THE PERSON
WHO COULD BE APPOINTING THE HOUSING MINISTER LOOKS LIKE HE
JUST ACCIDENTALLY ELECTROCUTED HIMSELF.
( LAUGHTER ) HOW DO I EXPLAIN BORIS JOHNSON
TO SOMEONE WHO'S NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE-- BASICALLY AMERICA
ELECTED DONALD TRUMP AS THEIR PRESIDENT AND NOW BRITAIN IS
SAYING "HOLD MY BEER."
( APPLAUSE ) NOW, LET ME BE CRYSTAL CLEAR,
I'M NOT SAYING BORIS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE GRENFELL
FIRE.
NOT AT ALL.
BUT UNLIKE DONALD TRUMP, THIS ISN'T BORIS' FIRST FORAY INTO
POLITICS.
HE WAS THE MAYOR OF LONDON, WHICH MEANS HE HAS A RECORD ON
FIRE SAFETY.
HE CAME UNDER CRITICISM FOR SIGNIFICANTLY CUTTING THE BUDGET
FOR THE FIRE SERVICE, CLOSING TEN STATIONS, AND REMOVING 27
ENGINES.
WHEN HE WAS CALLED OUT ON IT, HE HAD THIS TO SAY:
>> HOW CAN CUTTING FIRE STATIONS, CUTTING FIRE ENGINES,
CUTTING FIREFIGHTERS POLS NOT BE A REDUCTION IN COST.
>> WE'RE IMPROVING FIRE COVER.
HOW.
BY CONTINUING TO REDUCE DEATHS FROM FIRE AND CONTINUING
TO REDUCE THE INCIDENTS OF FIRE, THAT IS THE NAME OF THE GAME.
>> YOU'VE LIED TO THE PEOPLE OF LONDON.
>> OH, GET STUFFED.
>> James: GET STUFFED.
STIRRING WORDS.
( LAUGHTER ) I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T
TRUST BORIS TO SORT THIS OUT.
MAYBE SOMEONE TO ROCK THAT FRINGE IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO FACE
THIS PROBLEM HEAD ON, BUT JUST IN CASE HE ISN'T, ON THE OFF
CHANCE THAT BORIS JOHNSON DOESN'T CARE ENOUGH ABOUT THE
MOST DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE IN BRITAIN,
WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?
THE TRUTH IS, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT I DO KNOW THIS: WE CAN KEEP TALKING ABOUT GRENFELL.
WE CAN KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE 14 FAMILIES WHO SURVIVED THE FIRE
WHO STILL DON'T HAVE PERMANENT HOUSING TWO YEARS LATER AND WE
CAN KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO STILL
LIVE IN BUILDINGS THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO SIMILAR FIRES,
WITH ONLY HOPE AND GOOD LUCK KEEPING THEM SAFE.
WITH A NEWS CYCLE THAT CHANGES EVERY TWO HOURS, IN A COUNTRY
THAT CAN'T DECIDE WHETHER IT WANTS TO LEAVE OR REMAIN AND IS
ABSOLUTELY CONSUMED WITH WHETHER "LOVE ISLAND"'S TOMMY FURY ENDS
UP WITH MAURA OR MOLLY MAY...
WE HAVE TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT GRENFELL.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED BECAUSE THAT IS THE LEAST WE CAN
TO.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) OTHERWISE, WE CAN BE SURE,
NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.