Lewis was in the news because of his very public exasperation at being unable to help people much in the face of a perfect storm of price rises (“I’m virtually out of tools,” he told Sophie Raworth on Sunday Morning). And because his advice to consumers to submit gas and electricity readings before Friday’s massive price hike had, basically, caused some energy suppliers computer systems to crash (“It’s not like they didn’t have any notice,” he said elsewhere).

Coles took all this to paint a vivid portrait of a man who more than eight million people rely on for a regular financial-advice newsletter, and whose phenomenally popular ITV show merits a prime-time slot straight after Coronation Street. Lewis’s personal fortune was attributed to determination, 90-hour weeks and a deep-rooted emotional commitment to helping people avoid financial traps and to make their money work as hard as it can for them.  

“People rely on him to explain what’s going on in our turbulent financial world,” said financial journalist Claer Barrett, referencing a recent description of him as “the real Shadow Chancellor”.

“They want to know the bottom line of what’s going to happen to their finances. And they don’t look to Rishi Sunak for that, they look to Martin.” Quite the testament. You had to wonder what Lewis would be like running the country. Or even British Gas.