Rishi reveals his raunchy TV secret: Sunak says he relaxes by watching racy period drama Bridgerton - dubbed 'Bonkerton' - with his wife Akshata... having previously admitted he's a fan of steamy Jilly Cooper books

Rishi Sunak has revealed he relaxes by watching raunchy period drama Bridgerton with his wife Akshata.

The Prime Minister hailed the Netflix series - set in the Regency era and dubbed 'Bonkerton' due to its racy scenes - as 'fantastic'.

He told the Radio Times he did not have time to watch much beyond the Euro 2024 football while on the general election campaign trail.

But Mr Sunak - who has previously said he's a fan of Jilly Cooper's steamy novels - added: 'I've recently enjoyed watching Bridgerton with Akshata.

'I'm always in awe at the talent that we have in this country, and fantastic period dramas like this showcase why this country stands as a creative industries superpower.'

In the new edition of Radio Times most of the UK's political party leaders have shared their top TV picks ahead of polling day on 4 July.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described how he had binged on controversial Netflix show Baby Reindeer, saying it was 'compulsive'.

And Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey opted for BBC kids' shows Operation Ouch! and Horrible Histories, as well as Something Special and Mr Tumble.

Mr Farage said: 'I recently watched Baby Reindeer on Netflix all in one sitting. The more I cringed the more compulsive it became.'

Sir Ed said he normally watches TV with his children, adding: 'Recently I've watched a lot of Operation Ouch and Horrible Histories with my daughter, and Something Special and Mr Tumble with my son John on his iPad. All great shows!'

Earlier this month, the Lib Dem leader spoke in an emotional TV interview about caring for John, 16, who can't walk and has only limited speech due to a neurological condition.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer opted for Death in Paradise or Doctor Who, while the party's other co-leader Adrian Ramsay chose Rebus, when asked by the Radio Times.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth chose the Netflix serires Quarterback.

A Radio Times spokesman explained the absence of Labour's Sir Keir Starmer and the SNP.

They said: 'All the party leaders were asked to respond to our question as to what they are currently watching on TV, but some didn't reply by our press deadline.

'We have included a note in the magazine to make readers aware of this.'

Last year, it emerged Mr Sunak has 'several' guilty pleasures - including the 'bonkbusters' written by 87-year-old English author Cooper.

The PM was said to be a particular fan of Cooper's first international bestseller 'Riders', which recounts the escapades of wealthy international showjumpers.

When he was Chancellor, Mr Sunak admitted he had 'broadly stopped reading fiction' because he was too busy, although he said 'all my favourite books are fiction'.

He was previously revealed to have binge-watched Emily In Paris - which stars Lily Collins as an an ambitious young American marketing executive in the French capital - during the Covid lockdowns.

Mr Sunak has conceded his tastes are 'probably not quite the same' as some of his Cabinet colleagues.

'Like Emily In Paris, I'm not sure how many others watched that. I'll check,' Mr Sunak told the Radio Times in 2021.

He also spoke in the interview of having watched the A-Team, Baywatch and Blind Date with his parents, brother and sister as they enjoyed a Saturday night takeaway when growing up in Southampton.

Mr Sunak's music tastes are also quite mainstream, with the PM having revealed his enjoyment of Michael Buble's Christmas Deluxe album.

'In the evenings working on my own I just put Bublé on. It's great when you are signing Christmas cards to get you in the mood,' he told the Spectator in December 2022.