BCG Daily Friday 30th July 2021

Romesh Ranganathan on hosting the Weakest Link

The in-demand comedian talks to Veronica Lee about becoming the surprise new game show host and bringing a fresh vibe to the iconic show.

Tim Renkow interview

You can get away with almost anything if you've got cerebral palsy - or so acclaimed stand-up Tim Renkow reckons.

Peter Kay is getting on stage to help my sick daughter

"Most parents never imagine that one day they might be told their healthy 18-year-old daughter has 12 months to live."

Latitude festival-goers test positive for coronavirus

Up to 20 people in Suffolk have tested positive for Covid-19 after attending the Latitude Festival, the county's director of public health said.

Mark Watson on this year's Fringe

The Edinburgh Fringe is a hothouse of privilege that needs to change - but the show must go on.

Tim Renkow on what he finds the funniest

"The Hitchhiker's Guide made me crash my wheelchair into a ditch."

Sex & drugs & Simon Amstell

The man who put Gants Hill on the map tells James Mottram about the joy of magic mushrooms - and his problem with orgies.

Rosie Jones on her new children's book

"I never saw a disabled character", says Rosie Jones, who has written a book where the heroine has cerebral palsy.

Peter Kay's stage comeback sells out in 30 minutes

The two charity shows called Doing It For Laura will take place at Manchester's 3,500-capacity O2 Apollo on 7 August - and tickets sold out within just half an hour of going on sale, with fans after that being directed to a waiting list.

Michelle Keegan films in a thunderstorm for Brassic

Michelle Keegan was spotted hard at work filming the new series of Brassic in the middle of a thunderstorm - following a romantic break in Majorca with hubby Mark Wright.

The 34-year-old is shooting series four of the hit Sky show in Manchester and despite the rubbish weather, she was seen giving it her all on set alongside Joe Gilgun.

Katherine Ryan reveals she had two miscarriages

Katherine Ryan has revealed she was pregnant for 18 months and suffered two miscarriages back to back before giving birth to her son Fred in June.

East Is East revival announces cast

Casting has been revealed for the eagerly anticipated revival of Ayub Khan Din's East Is East, which opens at the Birmingham Rep in September before transferring to London.

The piece, which follows a Salford-based Pakistani family, will star Tony Jayawardena as George and Sophie Stanton as Ella.

Tim Renkow in Jerk: turning uneasiness into awkwardness

He's a jerk and it's fine not to like him. The latest series of Jerk, starring the stand-up comedian and actor Tim Renkow begins this week, and is based on a heightened version of his own experience of living with cerebral palsy.

It's a deliberately unsettling and subversive comedy, which aims to turn other people's uneasiness about his character into pure awkwardness. We spoke to him about the show.

King Gary review

Tom Davis is still a treat as the Essex builder with small problems and a big heart. If only he would dial down the zaniness.

King Gary review

Tom Davis's sitcom fails to do anything with its observations of suburbia.

Netflix rounds out cast for Catherine Tate prison show

Netflix has set the cast for Hard Cell, the streamer's women's prison mockumentary created by Catherine Tate.

Dan Mazer: Sacha Baron Cohen's partner in crime

Dan Mazer has known the prankster Sacha Baron Cohen since their public-school days and helped to create everything from Ali G to Borat. Now, with a pair of new films, he's ready for his close-up.

Keith Lemon says Holly Willoughby 'always complains'

Keith Lemon has made a shock dig at his friend Holly Willoughby by claiming she was the 'tightest' Celebrity Juice captain.

The comedian, 47, branded Holly a penny pincher and also teased that she "complained the most" when they starred on the show together.