In a bit of an unorthodox move for one of the BBC's longest running and most politically traditional programs, Question Time invited John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Limited to come on the program and comment on a variety of issues of the day. Lydon expressed some incredulity about the way banking fraud was being tackled:

How on earth is Parliament going to discuss this really when both sides, left and right, are connected to this? Both parties love this idea. They are fiddling with rates. They are affecting the world and everything we used to count on as being dependable and accurate is being discussed by these argumentative chaps. If I nick a motor I'm going to be up before the judge, the [bankers should do the] same thing. "

He also expressed strong support for the legalization of drugs, a position also held by other notable Brits like Richard Branson, saying:

I don't see why these things should be illegal if the correct information is out there. Here's the problem - you can kill yourself with two tablespoons of table salt. Are you now going to ban table salt? Let us as human beings determine our own journey in life.

The show, launched in 1979, features more stoic politicians from the three major political parties as well as other notable public and political figures who answer pre-selected questions put to them by a carefully selected audience.