JV-T

From Downing St press conferences, to the Jakeman's Community Stadium! Jonathan Van-Tam takes friend Chris Whitty to watch his beloved Boston United for his 'leaving do'.  

JVT became a household name during Covid, famed for his colourful metaphors. The deputy chief medical officer is set to step down from his role. A diehard Boston United fan, JVT took his colleagues to a match as his send-off . Sir Jonathan Van-Tam invited fellow Covid guru and friend Sir Chris Whitty to watch his beloved Boston United at his 'leaving do' this weekend. The Pilgrims play in the Natio,nal League North. Founded in 1933 as a successor to Boston Town FC.The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who left England and sailed to North America and settled near, though did not found, Boston, Massachusetts. The club's crest features the pilgrim fathers' ship, the Mayflower. 

JVT, as he has become affectionately known, is a life-long fan of the Pilgrims, going to his first match with his grandfather when he was seven. Due to step down as England's deputy chief medical officer in the next fortnight, he said this was 'one of the last opportunities' to show his colleagues what a 'fantastic club' Boston was. 

Sir Chris and other Department of Health colleagues were among 1,600 fans who witnessed the National League North side lose 2-1 to top of the table Gateshead. Before kick off at the Jakemans Community Stadium, JVT told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: 'They'd heard so much about Boston United and what a fantastic club it is, I think they all just wanted to see it for themselves.  'With me moving on this was one of the last opportunities to do that.' 

After the match, Sir Chris, who was knighted alongside his friend in the New Year's Honours list, was asked if he is also a football fan. He replied: 'Not as much as JVT. 'I heard about Boston every single Monday morning, so I feel I know about it better than anyone in the country.' Sir Chris, who was born in Gloucester, added: 'I do follow football, but I don't have a team in the way that JVT does — JVT is my team.' 

JVT announced he was stepping down as deputy CMO in January, just hours after Boris Johnson apologised to the nation for boozing with others in No10's garden. Government sources insisted that his exit wasn't related to 'partygate', claiming that his time was 'up' because he had been 'on loan' to Whitehall since 2017. Others saw the influenza expert's departure as a sign that the worst of Covid was over. Sir Jonathan will return to academical work at the University of Nottingham in May, taking up the position of pro-vice-chancellor for the faculty of medicine and health sciences. He will step down in March.

A straight-talking voice of calm, JVT shot to fame in the early stages of the pandemic for his use of football-related metaphors to explain complex science.Trialled on his wife and three children before being presented to the public, he has variously conjured up images of rail travel, football and flying over the last two years. He has fronted many Downing Street press conferences, attracting a legion of fans who have bought T-shirts with his face and phrases emblazoned across the front. 

Sir Jonathan has also not been shy to call out advisers for appearing to break the rules. He made his feelings clear on Dominic Cummings' infamous trip to Barnard Castle, declaring pointedly at a TV press conference: 'The rules are clear and they have always been clear. In my opinion they are for the benefit of all and they apply to all'.  

Sir Jonathan graduated in medicine from the University of Nottingham in 1987. After five years of hospital-based clinical medicine, he trained in public health and epidemiology developing an interest in influenza and respiratory viruses. He became a Senior Lecturer at Nottingham in 1997 before taking a number of high profile jobs as a medical director at British pharma giants. Sir Jonathan returned to the public sector in 2004 at the Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, where he was Head of the Pandemic Influenza Office until October 2007. He has also chaired the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Expert Advisory Group on bird flu, and was a member of the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) during the 2009-10 pandemic. Since 2014 he has been Chair of the UK government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG). He took up the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England on 2 October 2017. 

His love of Boston United and analogies on red cards, penalties and the Grand National helped JVT win the public's affection and he became a household name as he delivered health messages with dose of humour.  

Professor Jonathan Van Tam has regularly deployed fun metaphors to clearly explain complicated scientific ideas during the pandemic. Some of the former deputy chief medical officer's best moments include comparing the Government's relationship with coronovirus to a football game. He has also likened the vaccine rollout to a train that was ready to be boarded or a plane preparing for landing.