Alex Brooker

Radio Times review

Can TV's best topical comedy keep that mantle in the midst of election fever? It's a challenge, even for the excellent Adam Hills and his two sidekicks, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe.

Brooker pre-empted the worst excesses of the race for Downing Street earlier this year by conducting a genuinely enlightening interview with Nick Clegg, during which any answer deemed to be "bulls**t" was met with a klaxon. It's safe to say that despite Brooker's efforts, plenty of the smelly stuff has crept into the campaign on all sides as 7 May has drawn closer. The trio's signature brand of satire without cynicism could be just what we need.

Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe have got Friday night satire right; matey instead of aloof, heartfelt instead of withering; and, because the presenters visibly enjoy each other's company and aren't competing, far less stilted than such a heavily scripted show ought to be. They don't feel like part of the well-oiled daily debate machine, so their points stick and miracles happen: viewers' tweets aren't annoying! Nick Clegg looked human when he was on! Sarah Millican guests as another annoyingly short series ends.

Button that makes political interviews worth watching

Alex Brooker's Channel 4 encounter with Nick Clegg was a model of how to talk normally to a politician - and make them talk normally back.

The genial triumvirate of Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe present a special New Year edition of The Last Leg, looking at the noteworthy news stories of the past year. There will be a dick of the year award, which - in a pleasing display of democracy at work - viewers will be able to vote on, while their trademark "is it okay?" question will be joined by "will it be okay?", looking ahead at that grey area of good and bad taste for 2015. The trio will be joined in the studio by bashful polymath Richard Ayoade.

Alex Brooker interview

A year on from my last chat with him, I caught up with Alex Brooker to find out what the past year has been like for him.

The Australian standup comedian Adam Hills is back for a new series of his topical-and-comical review show. He's joined once more by his co-hosts, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker as they take on the news agenda of the last seven days, and apply some levity and jokes to the mix. Offering their insight on the significant news moments of the week alongside them will be celebrity guests (mostly other comics and TV presenters). As usual, they also answer the most pressing question of all: "Is it OK?"

This is the show that started out as a late-night sidebar to the 2012 Paralympics and proved so popular it took on a life of its own.

This is also the show that says it's OK laugh at disability provided, that is, those jokes are made within the parameters of a fiendishly sensitive, unwritten set of rules with question one being: "Are you Frankie Boyle?" And question two being: "Is your name Jim Davidson?"

As a rule of thumb, if you can count up to 20 using your fingers and toes, don't even think about trying to join in yourself.

With regular panellist Alex Brooker out in Austria presenting The Jump, comedian Micky Flanagan joins host Adam Hills and Josh Widdicombe for the start of the new series.

Last year, Adam ­memorably remarked: "Getting angry at Jim Davidson because he doesn't know how to talk about disability is like getting angry at a dog for not knowing how to use the internet." There's a good chance the show might work up a nice head of steam about Davidson winning Celebrity Big Brother.

Adam Hills, Josh Widdecombe and Alex Brooker return for a new series of the enjoyable if slightly vague weekly round-up show. It all went a bit good-natured Top Gear when London 2012 finished. Finally, they have the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics to look forward to, giving proceedings a renewed sports focus. Hills and co should also include a weekly "gay propaganda" item to make up for the shortfall created by Russia's legislation. It's only fair. Elsewhere, Brooker continues on his quest to compete in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

Audio: Alex Brooker interview

Alex Brooker, one of the three presenters of Channel 4's The Last Leg, speaks to Ouch.

This news-comedy show was the unexpected star of the 2012 Paralympic Games: led by comedian Adam Hills, its irreverent round-up of the day's events won a following all of its own. So much so that it came back earlier this year, not to comment on sport but simply on the week's news. That's a crowded marketplace, in which The Last Leg has found a niche.

Along with the wry, sideways, irreverent looks at some of the quirkier stories you might have missed, there's a convivial and inclusive atmosphere that softens the sharpness of the gags - the first 2013 series was best known for a piece to camera in which Adam Hills eviscerated US comedian Joan Rivers, but he was doing it because Rivers had made fat gags about Adele. That's The Last Leg all over: right-on, usually spot-on and brightly funny.

Hills is flanked by co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker. Tonight's guest: Russell Brand.