How Liz Truss’ husband Hugh O’Leary revealed PM’s real turmoil as he stood by her side in dramatic resignation speech

LIZ Truss' husband revealed the Prime Minister's true turmoil as he stood by her side during her resignation speech today.

The fallen Tory leader dramatically stepped down after just 44 days in charge after a tumultuous administration.

Embattled Liz made the announcement outside No 10 in a sombre speech.

But while she held it together, body language expert Judi James said her husband Hugh O'Leary showed Liz's true feelings.

In a day of political chaos...

• Liz Truss dramatically RESIGNS as Prime Minister after just 44 days in office
• Top contenders to take over from Liz Truss are revealed
• Truss's 44-day stint as PM is set to be the shortest in British history
• Truss said she had spoken to the King on Thursday to notify him of her resignation
• A new Prime Minister will be elected in days as today's resignation sparks a leadership election
• Truss faces a dramatic week ahead as she remains in her post until a successor is chosen
• The pound has rallied following the dramatic resignation
• Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Ben Wallace are the top frontrunners to be the next PM

The expert said: "Liz Truss might have tried to style it out with a smile today (and even a laugh towards the end of her mini-speech) but her husband’s rigid, full-body penguin pose suggested a more authentic reflection of the tension and anguish she might have been feeling inside.

"Still relatively unknown and even nameless, he walked out behind his wife, wearing a sickly, down-turned smile that looked on-message with Liz’s facial expression of smiling bravado.

"The tension showed in his arms though, which were held rigidly away from his torso, and his hands, which were partially clenched into fists.

"As the speech began he adopted a classic ‘power pose’ with his legs and chest splayed to suggest strength.

"Like Liz’s odd smile though it looked like an overkill ritual, when the mask is so difficult to apply it becomes exaggerated and incongruent."

Hugh has supported his wife throughout her time in charge of the country.

He was pictured all smiles next to Liz as she entered No 10 as Prime Minister just 44 days ago.

But Judi said today's doorstep appearance could not have been more different.

She added: "There have been little if any PDAs from this couple in the last few weeks apart from the one pose together as Liz entered No 10 as PM for the first time.

"This time she swept back in, leaving him to follow her like a dutiful and slightly protective PA."

Judi also said Liz's speech was more "emotionless" than her predecessor Boris Johnson.

While Boris opted for a typically over the top goodbye, Liz instead chose a short, 90 second, 202-word statement.

She explained: "Liz’s speech was full of more counter-intuitive facial cues that were not just masking the signs of devastation that looked obvious from her drained face and slumped shoulders, but which seemed to hint at an undercurrent of possible resentment and even mockery.

"She still allowed a micro-beam of pride as she spoke of being voted in as PM although the smiles she used when she mentioned resigning and Graham Brady’s name did look more ironic.

"Compared to Boris’s fizzing anger and May’s tears this was an unemotional speech although the body language did hint we might get some glimpse of the less masked emotions if she does a leaving speech next week."

Liz's six weeks in office make her the shortest serving premier the UK has ever had.

A Tory leadership race will now begin and a new PM will be chosen by next Friday.

Tory heavyweights Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove have ruled themselves out.

The current frontrunners to takeover are Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

But in a shocking twist this afternoon, Boris is considering running to stand after topping a poll from Tory members.