LEMBIT OPIK STARS IN UNSIGNED BAND’S MUSIC VIDEO

Lembit Opik is seen dancing around and talking on his mobile phone in the video

Former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik is the star of a new music video by unsigned band The Good Suns.

The 46-year-old is seen mouthing the lyrics to the group's new track Pop Wound and dancing on a roof terrace.

The Good Suns' frontman Bobbie McDrierty admitted they initially had no idea their director had approached Mr Opik to star in their video.

“It was quite a shock to see the finished product, but pretty hilarious,” he said.

'Horrified and entertained'
Mr Opik, who was trending on Twitter on Tuesday, told BBC News Online that he enjoyed the experience and was not fazed by any criticism his role in the video might create.

“Whatever people think about me, there's no doubt that the world is talking about this video.”

He said he was asked to appear in the video because the producers “felt my profile and my outlook fitted the song quite well”.

The former politician, who said he manages three bands himself, added it had been “quite flattering” to be asked.

“I had a lot of faith in the producers and it [the video] came out as just as we had hoped it would, a bit tongue-in-cheek.”

He said he hoped the video would “help raise the profile of the band and get them more gigs” as he is a huge fan of their music.

The four-piece band have never actually met the former MP – who lost his seat in the last general election, but McDrierty said he has chatted to him on the phone.

“He was really nice and he praised the song and the band. He said he just wanted people to listen to our music.”

McDrierty explained the idea to use Mr Opik was all down to director Christopher Poole who “somehow seemed to pull this idea together”.

The Good Suns are hoping to get a record deal after all the publicity

He added: “We didn't really know what we were getting into, until it was more or less finished. It's not your conventional pop video, that's for sure.”

The story has generated a lot of publicity for the relatively unknown group, who formed last year, which the singer admitted had been surprising.

“We didn't foresee this, we just thought we'd make a funny video that people would be horrified and entertained by. The next thing you know, it's become a big news story.”

The Good Suns are yet to be signed to a record deal, although McDrierty said it “would be good to get one”.

Mr Opik recently failed to become the Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London at next year's elections.

Aside from his political career, he is also known for his engagement to Cheeky Girl Gabriela Irimia and for appearing in the ITV reality TV show I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

This is not the first time that a figure from the political world has appeared in in a pop video.

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock appeared in Tracey Ullman's 1984 video for My Guy – a cover of Madness's My Girl.

And in 1998, former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Cyril Smith featured in an advert for Bananarama's greatest hits album, alongside Geoffrey Dickens, Norman St John Stevas and Merlyn Rees.