The last time most Scots watched Humza Yousaf was during his tearful speech when he announced his resignation as First Minister in Bute House at the end of April after not much more than a year in the role.

But some three months on Mr Yousaf has got his mojo back.

He appeared relaxed, at times combative, at times funny, and at times deadly serious as he answered questions over 70 minutes at an All Talk show with Iain Dale at the Pleasance.

The show was hosted by Matthew Stadlen who was standing in for Mr Dale who had taken ill last month.

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Subjects discussed included the far right riots that have been taking place in England and Northern Ireland, the role of social media and disinformation in provoking the disorder and violence; Scottish independence; and the war in Gaza and the trauma experienced by his own parents in law who were trapped in the region last autumn.

The chat around family also came up with the happy event of the birth of his third child last month and how he managed to combine fatherhood and his time in office as First Minister.

It would seem, judging by what he told the audience about arguments with his wife around a lack of time he was spending with their children, this was at times challenging.

And while admitting he sometimes struggled with the responsibilities of fatherhood during his career in Bute House, he also spoke candidly about his shortcomings as First Minister.

He reflected whether he had done enough to unite his divided party after a bitter SNP leadership contest - suggesting he had not.

And he handed an olive branch to those rebels which clearly made life rather difficult for him.

"Divided parties don't win elections and I think there is more I could have done to try and bring people together in our party," he told the audience.

"But I hope those people in the party reflect on the loyalty I didn't have and give that to John [Swinney] fully as we are facing a very difficult election in 2026."

But what was perhaps most enlightening was the message he seemed to want to pass on to Nicola Sturgeon, his predecessor as FM.

Ms Sturgeon, appearing as an ITV election pundit on July 4/5, rather famously appeared to blame current First Minister John Swinney and the SNP's campaign for the party's devastating defeat.

Asked this afternoon whether he took responsibility for the result, Mr Yousaf said he took "an element of responsibility".

But at a nod to Ms Sturgeon's role in the result, he added: "I think anybody who was a past leader of the SNP in recent years has got to reflect very seriously....We got a thumping in the general election."