I’VE felt hungover this week. It’s not caused by pre-Christmas indulgence (indeed I am trying to have a detoxifying dry November) but by over-indulgence in US election following.

Having lived there for nine years and with two children entitled to US citizenship, the USA has always had a special place in my heart as a land of generosity and opportunity. And, knowing it a little bit makes this week’s shock Presidential result a little more understandable, if not any more palatable.

It wasn’t that I wanted fervently for Hillary to win – although a hugely experienced woman, she is part of the political machine that voters everywhere say they mistrust and goodness knows what was going on with those emails, although the public-spirited leak of their contents by that paragon of transparency, Julian Assange (you know, the bloke who went to ground like a fox rather than face the serious sexual assault charges filed against him) suggests their contents were utterly trivial.

But, for the greatest country on earth to elect a leader who appears so patently unfit to lead, refuses to pay US taxes (and brags about it), likes to grab women by whichever body part is convenient, admits he would date his own daughter, thinks that “putting a woman to work is a dangerous thing”; wants to ban Muslims from entering the USA, spews hate and division in every speech, could easily start a nuclear war but sneers at the idea of a war on climate change – well, the list goes on.

And it has left many people absolutely horrified, including every Republican I know.

But, hey, at least he hosts a damn good reality show in the Apprentice and in that lies a big clue. He is a name. And a face. And a Tweeter with 30 million followers.

People have watched him weekly. He is one of us (albeit Tango’ed and with a comb over) and we all say stupid things from time to time. So, it’s okay to ignore the nonsense because he doesn’t mean it. And just like Nigel Farage he’s found a scapegoat in politicians, immigrants and foreign trade to explain away all the problems that globalisation has brought in a country that has under-invested in education and infrastructure for years.

It’s early days and the USA has seen terrible leaders who make good, and of course we must respect the democracy that has thrown up this surprise. But all I really feel like saying is God Bless – and God Help – America.