Would Johnson trigger an election over the Brexit impasse?
Sky's Sophy Ridge wasn't sure which Boris Johnson she would get her interview - the sensible one, or the free-wheeling one.
Sunday 30 June 2019 10:00, UK
Before my interview with the man who is the favourite to be the next prime minister, I was unsure which Boris Johnson I was going to get.
Sensible, straight-jacketed Boris Johnson - sticking carefully to the script on Brexit and his record as London mayor?
Or free-wheeling, unpredictable Boris Johnson - expressive and headline grabbing?
In the end, it was a bit of both.
Yes, he was keen to fall back on his time in London - something his campaign team clearly view as a strength.
But he also seemed far more open than previously in the race for Number 10.
Asked about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, in jail in Iran on espionage charges, in a rare flash of emotion he admitted to feeling a "deep sense of anguish" about her situation.
He was punchy when I challenged him on whether he fails to take responsibility for his actions and words, replying: "I take personal responsibility, most importantly, for the vote to leave the European Union.
"I played a part in that campaign and I'm very proud of what we did but I take personal responsibility now for what is happening to our country, for the drift and the dither, and the indecision, and the failure to be sufficiently robust in the negotiations which we've seen so far and what I want to add now is my own ability, I think, to lead us out of this mess."
There was also moments of Boris Johnson the joker.
When quizzed about whether Jeremy Hunt should worry about the fact he wears socks featuring an Assyrian king known for his ruthless treatment of his enemies, he quipped: "I admire Jeremy very much and whatever happens he will not be in a dog kennel, I can tell you that much, with or without a chain around his neck. That's a promise."
I was keen to pin Mr Johnson down on policy details - and not let him treat the interview like an after dinner speech.
Asked what the minimum wage was (now known as the living wage) he said £10 when it is £8.21 - later saying that he thought we were talking about the London living wage.
I had to prompt him to give the details of his policy announcement on special needs schools.
And - most importantly - on Brexit, there was still a vagueness on the details.
"The money, the £39bn, I would suspend that in creative ambiguity, wait until we get a deal and then solve the problems of the Northern Irish border," he said.
Presented with recent examples of the EU's refusal to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement, he simply glossed over the fact and replied: "I think it's possibly the case that they would say that at this particular stage in the negotiations. You would expect them to say that kind of thing."
Supporters of Mr Johnson believe he - more than anyone - is most likely to get a Brexit deal - because EU leaders will believe he is prepared to leave without one and his Brexiteer credentials could help persuade more of his parliamentary colleagues to get behind a compromise agreement.
However, I left Somerset with a sneaky suspicion.
Boris Johnson has the manner of a man on the campaign trail, and littered the interview with his domestic policy details.
If he becomes PM and can't get a deal past parliament - would he pull the trigger and call an election to change the numbers? I wouldn't bet against it.