Rabi Lamichhane, who gave up a career as a popular television talk show host to enter politics, has been appointed Nepal’s Minister of Home Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Lamichhane rose to fame on the News24 channel in Kathmandu when he set a Guinness World Record in 2013 for the longest broadcast by a television presenter.

He stayed on air for over 62 hours, interviewing politicians, journalists, celebrities and members of the public on the theme ‘Buddha was born in Nepal’.

He later joined Galaxy 4K TV but resigned in June 2022 to form a new political party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party. It won 20 seats in the general election in November, with Mr Lamichhane winning comfortably in Chitwan.

The party became a junior partner in the new coalition government, which took office on 26 December. Mr Lamichhane was appointed Minister of Home Affairs and one of three Deputy Prime Ministers.