Spanish late-night shows respond to Pedro Sánchez calling 29 November snap election

Snap election call opens late-night broadcasts

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday afternoon from the Moncloa Palace that snap general elections will take place on 29 November 2026. The announcement immediately became the focal point for Spain's late-night television programming on 5 October. David Broncano opened the broadcast of La Revuelta on public network La 1 by playing a bass drum and chanting election slogans at the Teatro Príncipe Gran Vía in Madrid. The studio audience joined in before shifting into chants calling for a general strike. Broncano noted the repetition of rapid election cycles in Spain, recalling the multiple voting rounds that took place in 2019.

Speculation on RTVE and electoral outcomes

The comedy program turned its attention to the early polling data published following the government's announcement. Broncano framed the potential public reactions into two colloquial outcomes, joking that voters would either view the result as an escalating mess or react with profanity. Ricardo Castella pointed out that holding the election on 29 November would bring political tension into family Christmas Eve dinners. The cast also discussed recurring commentary regarding the vulnerability of their public television contract if a coalition between the People's Party and Vox assumes government control. Broncano suggested adjusting the format rather than facing cancellation, directing an exchange at Castella.

Ricardo, maybe you should be put in a Community of Madrid care home so you start feeling the hand of liberalism on your neck.

Castella responded by suggesting an alternative career path for the host.

You could run in the elections yourself. And if you win, you give Pedro Sánchez a show.

Commentary on party leaders and campaign dynamics

The broadcast continued by reviewing how different political figures approached the upcoming vote. Broncano remarked that officials in the People's Party were anxious about whether Alberto Núñez Feijóo might win the vote and repeat previous reluctance to form a government. The host also referenced public comments by Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso regarding potential postal voting fraud if the right-wing parties do not prevail. The discussion portrayed Sánchez as hoping for another complex political combination to maintain his parliamentary majority. Later in the broadcast, collaborator Jorge Ponce reported live from an ongoing housing encampment at Puerta del Sol to collect reactions from demonstrators regarding the election call.

Ratings rivalry with Cuatro and Antena 3

The presenters also reviewed audience figures from the previous Thursday, when La Revuelta had guest Mariano Benítez de Lugo, a lawyer specializing in housing evictions. While the broadcast surpassed its direct rival El Hormiguero on Antena 3, it trailed Cuatro's Horizonte, which broadcast an interview conducted by Iker Jiménez with Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Broncano noted that El Hormiguero had fallen to third place in that time slot and jokingly extended congratulations to Jiménez, suggesting the Cuatro host might be appointed interior minister in December. Meanwhile, El Hormiguero featured an impersonation of Sánchez by Carlos Latre and a political roundtable, with host Pablo Motos announcing that his production team had formally reached out to the Moncloa Palace.

The prime minister has called elections, and this afternoon we spoke with Moncloa and invited him. He is the first person we called; we would love for the prime minister to come to El Hormiguero, where there are 70 minutes for him to explain what he wants to do, what his plans are, and we would be delighted if he came.