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Denis Mann, deputy editor of the British entertainment-focused tabloid newspaper ''[[Daily Star (United Kingdom)|Daily Star]]'', read the column in ''The Economist'' and on 14 October mentioned it to chief editor Jon Clark, who saw potential in the idea. Starting that day, the newspaper's video team started broadcasting a livestream of an iceberg lettuce next to a photograph of Truss, asking the audience whether Truss would be able to outlast the lettuce.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |last1=Victor |first1=Daniel |title=The Lettuce Outlasts Liz Truss |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/19/world/europe/liz-truss-lettuce-stream.html |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=19 October 2022 |archive-date=19 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019231613/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/19/world/europe/liz-truss-lettuce-stream.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="pgazette">{{cite news |last1=Maher |first1=Bron |title=Daily Star lettuce: Editor says 'we're 'not anti-Tory, we're anti-idiot' |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/daily-star-lettuce/ |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=[[Press Gazette]]|date=20 October 2022}}</ref> ''Daily Star'' hosted the livestream on [[YouTube]] with the title "LIVE: Can Liz Truss outlast a lettuce?". The outlet had been known to make light of contemporary political events, such as [[Brexit]], while generally not adopting a particular political stance.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chakelian |first1=Anoosh |title=The unlikely revival of the Daily Star |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2022/10/liz-truss-lettuce-daily-star-revival |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=[[New Statesman]] |date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020213306/https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2022/10/liz-truss-lettuce-daily-star-revival |url-status=live }}</ref> The lettuce had been purchased from a [[Tesco]] store for £0.60 with an expected shelf-life of approximately ten days,<ref name="wp"/> and was physically hosted in the home of Ed Keeble, one of the newspaper's video editors.<ref name="pgazette"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=McInerney |first1=Liam |title=Meet Daily Star lettuce keeper who took down Truss with goggly eyes and a wig |url=https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/meet-daily-star-lettuce-keeper-28297216 |access-date=21 October 2022 |work=[[Daily Star]] |date=21 October 2022}}</ref> Within the first five hours of the stream, it had received over 50,000 likes,<ref>{{cite news |title=Can Liz Truss outlast a lettuce, UK tabloid asks in Twitter post |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/can-liz-truss-outlast-lettuce-uk-tabloid-asks-twitter-post-2022-10-14/ |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=Reuters |date=14 October 2022 |language=en |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020180415/https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/can-liz-truss-outlast-lettuce-uk-tabloid-asks-twitter-post-2022-10-14/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and over 350,000 viewers by the following day.<ref name="wp"/> On 18 October 2022, the tabloid further ran a headline titled "Lettuce Liz on Leaf Support", a pun on "[[life support]]".<ref name="nyt"/> As the livestream went on, a pair of [[googly eyes]] and a blonde wig were put on the lettuce, followed by fake feet and hands and glasses. Additionally, some crackers and a mug (labelled "[[Keep Calm and Carry On]]") were placed around the lettuce.<ref name="wp"/><ref name="nyt"/><ref name="reuters20">{{cite news |title=Our lettuce outlasted Liz Truss, British paper declares, as PM quits |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/our-lettuce-outlasted-liz-truss-british-paper-declares-pm-quits-2022-10-20/ |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020180233/https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/our-lettuce-outlasted-liz-truss-british-paper-declares-pm-quits-2022-10-20/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Prime Minister Liz Truss announces her resignation (cropped).jpg|thumb|Truss announcing her resignation on 20 October 2022.]]
Before the lettuce had wilted, on 20 October, Truss announced her resignation as prime minister, becoming the [[Records of prime ministers of the United Kingdom|shortest-serving prime minister in British history]].<ref name="reuters20"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Stephens |first1=Max |title=Liz Truss becomes shortest-serving UK Prime Minister ever |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/20/liz-truss-shortest-prime-minister-resignation-calls-tory-ministers/ |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=The Telegraph |date=20 October 2022 |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020111804/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/10/20/liz-truss-shortest-prime-minister-resignation-calls-tory-ministers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At that moment, there were 12,000 viewers on the livestream, which soon shot up to 21,000. The British national anthem "[[God Save the King]]" began to play, the portrait of Truss on the table was flipped face down and a plastic golden crown was placed on top of the lettuce, with the ''Daily Star'' declaring the lettuce's "victory" over Truss.<ref name="reuters20"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Iceberg lettuce in blond wig outlasts Liz Truss |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/20/iceberg-lettuce-in-blonde-wig-outlasts-liz-truss |access-date=21 October 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The music was later changed to "[[Celebration (Kool & the Gang song)|Celebration]]" by American band [[Kool & the Gang]],<ref name="nyt"/> with a [[Greggs]] sausage roll and a glass of [[prosecco]] also featured.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Ethan |title=The wet lettuce that lasted longer than Liz Truss as Prime Minister |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/wet-lettuce-lasted-longer-liz-25312878 |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=[[Manchester Evening News]] |date=20 October 2022 |language=en |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020213307/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/wet-lettuce-lasted-longer-liz-25312878 |url-status=live }}</ref> While the lettuce had not rotted entirely, it did show signs of discolouration,<ref>{{cite news |title=UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is in a competition to outlast a head of lettuce |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/uk-pm-liz-truss-and-lettuce-attempt-to-outlast-eachother/jv13zkx0i |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=SBS News |date=20 October 2022 |language=en |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020065605/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/uk-pm-liz-truss-and-lettuce-attempt-to-outlast-eachother/jv13zkx0i |url-status=live }}</ref> with a column in ''[[The Atlantic]]''
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