Michael Gove admits searching for ‘gorgeous’ Shabana Mahmood images as ex-minister reveals 'crush'

Dan McDonald
Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:27:13 +0000

Michael Gove has admitted he has a “crush” on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, revealing he has searched online for images of the senior Labour figure.

The former Conservative cabinet minister made the candid remarks during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Matt Forde Focus Group.

When asked whether his admiration was political or personal, Mr Gove replied: “Both”.

He went on to describe Ms Mahmood as “gorgeous” and “fantastic”.

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Mr Gove also joked about his internet habits, suggesting his interest extended beyond Westminster.

“I think she's gorgeous. I do worry, though, that if Shabana Mahmood had access to my browsing history, she would discover that quite a lot of my browsing is me typing in 'Shabana Mahmood images' or 'Shabana Mahmood history',” he told listeners.

The ex-Housing Secretary went on to describe himself as a "huge fan".

He joked: “I’ll have to tell my girlfriend about this.”

Mr Gove returned to journalism in 2024, becoming editor of The Spectator after leaving frontline politics in the aftermath of the last general election.

His 20-year marriage to Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine ended in 2021, with the former couple sharing two children.

Following the split, he was photographed appearing to kiss Oxford academic Dr Lola Salem, who is more than 25 years his junior.

Ms Mahmood has served as Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood since 2010 and was appointed Home Secretary in September 2025.

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She has largely kept her personal life out of the spotlight.

The Birmingham-born politician, whose parents emigrated from Kashmir in Pakistan, has often spoken about the importance of her Muslim faith.

In a 2024 interview, she said: “My faith is the centre point of my life, and it drives me to public service.”

Mr Gove has previously suggested Ms Mahmood could one day lead the Labour Party.

He also interviewed her at Labour’s 2025 conference, praising her defence of digital ID proposals as “the single best case that any Government minister has made for this policy”.

Since taking up her Cabinet role, Ms Mahmood has spearheaded the Government’s illegal migration crackdown.

She recently introduced the first phase of an immigration overhaul, reducing temporary refugee protection from five years to 30 months.

Under the proposals, adults - along with any children who arrived with them - will be expected to return to their home countries once they are deemed safe.

The Home Office has drawn on Denmark’s immigration system as a model for the reforms.

Ms Mahmood previously said: “The reset in Britain’s asylum offer, inspired by Denmark’s success, will encourage those wishing to build a life in the UK to do so via legal routes, and reduce the pull factors driving illegal migration.”