This lot had some rather limited work experience...
The shortest-serving British Prime Ministers William Pulteney, the first Earl of Bath, was Prime Minister in 1746 for just “48 hours, three quarters, seven minutes and eleven seconds” until he realised he didn’t have the support to form a government. In 1757, James Waldegrave, the second Earl Waldegrave, stepped down from the job after just four days, fearing he’d clash with his friend, King George II. But neither of them managed to form successful governments, so the title officially goes to George Canning, who led a coalition of Tories and Whigs in 1827, but died of pneumonia 119 days after taking office. The shortest-serving Miss World Gabriella Brum’s brief Miss World career was beset by controversy.
Germany’s 18-year-old contender for the title in 1980 – the first year entrants were judged on their personality and intelligence as well as their beauty – resigned after 18 hours.
At first, she said that her boyfriend, Benno Bellenbaum, disapproved of the contest.
But after handing back the crown, it emerged that she had posed naked for photographs, which she later did again for Playboy. The shortest-serving British prisoner A shoplifter served a 15-minute jail sentence in 2006 after admitting stealing clothes from BHS.
Magistrates gave Javad Iqbal, 43, of St Albans, Herts, the option of a one-day prison sentence or a £175 fine. Iqbal chose jail – but had already been held in custody on remand for three days. The bench ordered him to remain in custody in court for another 15 minutes. The shortest-serving football manager Sam Allardyce’s ill-fated tenure as England manager last year, which lasted just one match, may seem fleeting. But his 67 days in charge is a lifetime compared to former Fulham, QPR and West Ham striker Leroy Rosenior’s stint as manager at Torquay United in 2007, which lasted just 10 minutes.
He was appointed manager as the Devon club was being taken over by a local consortium, which quickly brought in their own man.
Now a coach and pundit, Rosenior says it’s the best thing that could have happened to his career. The shortest-serving Cabinet Minister The expenses scandal in 2009-10 claimed a lot of political lives.
Banker-turned-MP David Laws was one of four Lib Dem negotiators of the 2010 Coalition with the Conservatives. But his stint as Chief Secretary to the Treasury lasted just 17 days.
On May 28, 2010, it was revealed that Laws had claimed more than £40,000 in expenses for a second home, but he was actually paying rent to his secret boyfriend.
Laws hadn’t declared the relationship because he hadn’t intended on coming out as gay. The shortest-serving monarch Lady Jane Grey ruled for just nine days. She was proclaimed queen on July 10, 1553 after the death of Henry VIII’s only son, Edward VI, who nominated his first cousin once removed as his successor. Edward was a Protestant, and didn’t want his Roman Catholic half-sister Mary taking the crown.
But Lady Jane was deposed by Mary less than a fortnight later, convicted of treason along with her husband and father, and sentenced to death. She was beheaded in the Tower of London in February 1554. The shortest-ever job One candidate for this title has to be Emma Hulse, who claims she was fired after just five minutes into her job as a TV worker earlier this year – for being too good-looking.
The 24-year-old says she was sent home within moments of arriving for a shift at Unit TV in Soho, Central London, and told by her manager that she “should be on a catwalk”.
She said: “Maybe that company employs plain-looking people and maybe if you don’t look that way they don’t take you. Maybe I was a distraction.’
The firm dismissed the other employee who was allegedly involved in the incident. The shortest-serving American President William Henry Harrison was elected in 1840 as the ninth President of the United States. Taking office at the age of 67, he died of pneumonia 31 days into his term.
He was the oldest President to be inaugurated until Ronald Reagan in 1981, aged 69. Harrison was a former military officer who wanted to maintain his heroic image during his presidency.
He delivered the longest inaugural speech in US history, for two hours on a chilly day in March without a coat or hat. Twelve days later, he became ill. The shortest-serving Pope While John Paul I’s 33-day tenure in 1978 resulted in the most recent Year of Three Popes, the first to occur since 1605, he is far from history’s shortestserving Pope.
In fact, 10 previous pontiffs were in the position for the same time or less. The shortest-ever was Pope Urban VII’s reign, which lasted for just 13 days, until his death from malaria in 1590.
Leo XI was elected in 1605 aged 69, before dying within a month. He is known as Papa Lampo, or Lightning Pope, because his papacy was so short.
John Paul I holds the title for briefest reign since 1605.
If you have had an even shorter time in a job, email laura.connor@ mirror.co.uk or call 0207 293 2115.