In 2022, politics dominated the news agenda. Numerous cabinet reshuffles and the unexpected arrival of Matt Hancock in the Australian jungle sparked public reactions online.

Here’s a look at some of the lighter political moments of the year.

– Boris Johnson appears in front of a job centre after his resignation as Conservative leader

In July, a wax figure of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared outside a Jobcentre Plus in Blackpool following his resignation, prompting a flood of photographs and quizzical looks from the public, who flocked to have their photo taken with the figure or to lean in for a closer look.

The wax replica, made by Madame Tussauds Blackpool, shows Mr Johnson in a pose with his hands on his hips, wearing a navy blue suit, white shirt, powder blue tie and his famous mop of hair.

– Bust of Liz Truss

News of Liz Truss’s appointment as prime minister sparked mixed reactions on social media, but the announcement of the appointment – which was seen as “political machinations” surrounding the Conservative leadership and finally exposed on September 5 – united the country with laughter.

Wilfrid Wood, who lives in Hackney, London, and was involved in the satirical television programme Spitting Image in the 1980s and 1990s, created the plasticine sculpture of Mrs Truss, which took about a day to create and features distinctive features such as a “prominent” forehead and “thick neck”.

The bust received over 11,000 likes on Twitter.

Mr Wood told the PA news agency: “It’s hard to say what was the most difficult to sculpt. It’s more like: what’s the easiest? What stands out?”

“She has a prominent forehead, prominent cheekbones, her eyebrows are often very, very high on her already large forehead, and then she has a quite small mouth and a quite thick neck.”

– Which traverse is the right one?

A Twitter account apparently belonging to a woman named Liz Trussell with the username @LizTruss was mistakenly sent congratulatory messages from VIPs, including Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, after Ms Truss became British Prime Minister.

@LizTruss responded to Ms Andersson by tweeting “Looking forward to visiting soon! Get the meatballs ready,” before deleting the original tweet.

Another hilarious joke from Ms Trussell was her response to a Twitter user who had accused Ms Truss of showing “no class” by “skipping” Rishi Sunak when she won the Conservative Party leadership, to which she replied: “Sorry, I was at Nandos.”

– A salad outlasts Truss

Ms Truss resigned on 20 October after just 44 days in office, making her one of the shortest-serving prime ministers in history.

To make matters worse, a lettuce survived them.

The Daily Star set up a livestream on October 14 to see if the salad ingredient would fare better than the Prime Minister, asking the question: “Which wet salad lasts longer?”

After the salad’s victory, the newspaper tweeted: “Long live the salad.”

After Mrs Truss’s resignation, the salad was topped with a blonde wig and the framed picture of the Prime Minister was placed face down on the desk while victory songs played.

Disco lights shone and a mini bottle of rosé prosecco, a full glass and a miniature gin surrounded the salad.

– Rishi Sunak’s podium causes confusion and jokes about his size

When Rishi Sunak delivered his first address to the nation after his inauguration as Prime Minister on October 24, his podium seemed smaller than that of his successor.

Robert Peston, political editor at ITV News, tweeted: “Do Prime Ministers choose their lecterns? Look at the difference between Truss’s and Sunak’s.”

Another user wrote: “They are custom made as Rishi is not as tall as Liz or Boris. It would not look good if he had to stand on tiptoes to look over the lectern.”

Mr Sunak’s height – 5ft 7in – was mentioned several times and numerous pictures were taken of him alongside his Cabinet colleagues, apparently to draw particular attention to it.

– Hancock enters the Australian jungle as part of “I’m a Celebrity”

West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock ventured into the Australian jungle in November as part of I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here! and completed a series of challenges which included retrieving stars underwater, eating kangaroo testicles and taking part in the show’s famous ‘Celebrity Cyclone’.

His decision sparked confusion and anger, with Andy Drummond of the West Suffolk Conservative Association telling PA: “I look forward to him eating a kangaroo’s penis. Quote me!” But Mr Hancock came in third place.