'He's A Flawed Character And They Do Not Care': The Rise Of U.K.'s Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson is a larger-than-life British politician who likes to project the image of a bumbling, fun-loving man of the people.

His many supporters in Britain's Conservative Party find him charismatic, entertaining and — to their minds — refreshingly politically incorrect.

Many critics, however, see him as unprincipled, offensive and driven wholly by ambition.

This increasingly divisive figure in politics is now the favorite to become the United Kingdom's next prime minister. If he wins the Conservative Party leadership race — results are expected July 23 — he will inherit Brexit, a political Pandora's box that ended the career of the previous two prime ministers.

There are seemingly many sides to Boris Johnson. There is Johnson the public booster who slyly plays the buffoon, as he did at times during his two terms as mayor of London, from 2008 to 2016. One of the most enduring images of his tenure was Johnson riding on a zip line, waving a pair of Union Jacks to promote the 2012 London Olympics, only to be stranded 15 feet off the ground, the harness chafing against his groin.