Alan Carr

This week's new live comedy

Previews of Birthday Girls, Romesh Ranganathan and Alan Carr.

Radio Times review

Graham Norton, Jonathan Ross and Alan Carr are not going to lose any sleep if they listen to this. Jim Moir, better known as Vic Reeves, is not a natural interviewer. It's his guest, Olivia Colman, who holds the show together, using her ability to ad-lib with wit.

I love this series. I love Vic Reeves. I love Olivia Colman. It's why I chose this as my Pick of the Week. But were it not for Colman's thespian talents there are moments when tumbleweed would have blown through the studio (à la Shooting Stars). She picks up when Reeve's questions or direction of thought trails off, and yet, while he sounds delighted to have got to the end of the show intact, there are some parts where this interview is so funny it should come with its own health warning.

If Olivia Colman had to choose between a plastic hand and a hook, which would she favour? Is she any good with blood? As I said, Reeves is not your typical interviewer, but these surreal questions do encourage Colman to reveal more about herself than she would on a predictable chat show.

And so, I now know that she believes that the path to true love depends upon clutching a fallen eyelash with one's intended and making a wish. And that she can spend hours staring at pictures of men's swollen testicles (in medical books, not real life).

It's a peculiar half-hour, but one I wouldn't have missed for the world.

Alan Carr takes Yap, Yap, Yap on tour

Chat show host likes to yap on stage as much as he does on telly.

Alan Carr apologises for NTA acceptance speech

Alan Carr has apologised for his acceptance speech at last night's (January 21) National Television Awards. The Chatty Man star admitted that he was unprepared as he had been so sure that Graham Norton would take home the prize for Chat Show Host.

Comedy highlights of 2015

Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights returns and Alan Carr tours the UK

Alan Carr interview

TV funnyman Alan Carr on starting the party early, his favourite present from his partner and how some of his guests like to help themselves to his booze.

Not going out and reluctant to have a hootenanny chez Jools Holland? Never fear: Alan Carr is here to usher in the new year with you! They're at Channel 4 headquarters, so expect a good number of stars from the channel's stable as well as others (Jonathan Ross, Alesha Dixon and James Corden among them) to pop by for a series of party games and sketches. Live music comes from Tulisa and Professor Green, and the studio audience will be doing their best to provide a party atmosphere.

If anyone doubts Graham Norton's position as chatshow king, a look at tonight's opening line-up should set them straight. While Alan Carr has the solid if unspectacular likes of Lionel Richie, Jessie J and Nick Grimshaw over on Channel 4 (10pm), Norton's sofa dwellers - Denzel Washington, Gemma Arteton and new Doctor Who Peter Capaldi - offer real big-name clout. Music, meanwhile, is provided by the endlessly emoting George Ezra, whose croaky folk has proved inescapable this summer.

If anyone can carry off an old fashioned Summer Special of chat, Alan Carr can. With his camp frivolity, single entendres and propensity to get his guests a little bit tipsy and then soak them in Blue Nun, he manages to charm his chosen celebrities into spilling surprisingly good beans. Tonight he offers up the unique combination of comedian Miranda Hart, action hero Vin Diesel, and those cheeky boys from The Inbetweeners. It's a two-parter, so the fun continues at 10.35pm.

Alan Carr interview

Working in a call centre was good practise for Chatty Man!'.