In his forthcoming memoir, Boris Johnson, the former UK Prime Minister, claims he is convinced that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory in China rather than a wet market in Wuhan. Johnson rejects the widely supported theory that the virus started in a market, instead suggesting it was likely the result of a “botched experiment.” This assertion aligns with some of the earlier speculations about the virus’s origins, although the lab-leak theory remains contentious and has not been conclusively proven.
Johnson’s comments are expected to fuel ongoing debates about the true origins of COVID-19, a matter that has been the subject of numerous investigations. His stance reflects skepticism of official Chinese accounts and reinforces his calls for more transparency from Beijing on the virus’s outbreak.
In his memoir Unleashed, Boris Johnson makes bold claims regarding the origins of COVID-19, arguing that the virus was likely the result of a laboratory experiment gone wrong in China. He dismisses the theory that the virus originated in a Wuhan wet market and instead suggests that “some scientists were splicing bits of virus together like the witches in Macbeth,” referencing a botched experiment in which the virus escaped the lab and spread globally.
Johnson’s remarks are expected to increase pressure on the Chinese government to provide transparency on the virus’s origins. His view supports the controversial lab-leak theory, which, although considered by some experts, remains unproven.
Boris Johnson, in Unleashed, becomes the most prominent world leader since Donald Trump to publicly reject the theory that COVID-19 was transmitted “zoonotically” from animals to humans. Johnson had previously linked the virus’s origins to superstitious beliefs in parts of Asia, like the “demented” idea that grinding up pangolin scales could boost potency. However, over time, he became more skeptical of this theory as information emerged about experiments conducted by scientists in Wuhan.
In excerpts from his memoir, serialised in The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, Johnson also reflects on his emotional final conversation with Queen Elizabeth II during his visit to Balmoral to formalize the transfer of power to Liz Truss in 2022.
In Unleashed, Boris Johnson shares touching anecdotes about Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting on her mental sharpness despite her illness, which he had known about for over a year. During their final conversation at Balmoral, she offered him two pieces of advice, although he does not reveal the specifics. Johnson highlights the Queen’s curiosity about the public’s reaction to her famous “parachute” stunt during the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.
He also recalls his first visit to Balmoral with his then-girlfriend, Carrie, noting media speculation at the time that the Queen disapproved of them staying together as an unmarried couple. However, the memoir suggests that their stay was cordial and uneventful.
In Unleashed, Boris Johnson provides the strongest indication to date regarding Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s perspective on Brexit, while also revealing her interest in the age-gap marriage of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The memoir further discloses a near-fatal incident during the summer of 2020, when Mr. Johnson, still recovering from COVID-19, was swept out to sea while kayaking off the coast of Scotland during a family holiday. This episode, according to Mr. Johnson, nearly resulted in his death.
