Charlotte Church

Kiri Pritchard-McLean 'cannot quite explain' after 'life-changing moments' at Charlotte Church retreat

Kiri Pritchard-McLean joined Charlotte Church's retreat as an Artist in Residence and has detailed her 'soul nourishing' experience.

Review: #JC4PM, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

Finding mainstream musicians prepared to stick their head above the parapet these days is no mean feat and so the textily-titled #JC4PM is headlined by Charlotte Church, who brought mighty, soaring vocals and left-of-centre electronica rather than rhetoric, with a support bill of speakers, poets and comedians, including veteran campaigners Jeremy Hardy, acting as MC for the evening, and Mark Steel, both of whom were happy to confront the prevailing political mood across the spectrum with some well aimed barbs.

Chris Morris's magnificent series of self-fulfilling prophecies reached its peak with its paedophilia special, spoofing kneejerk tabloid hysteria and corralling dumb celebrities to spout utter tosh (or "Nonce Sense", if you prefer) about how paedophiles share DNA with crabs. A media storm duly followed - the Daily Star's criticisms appearing next to photos of 15-year-old Charlotte Church looking "chest swell" - punctuated by politicians pompously denouncing the programme before having to admit that they hadn't actually seen it. Plus ça change.

Charlotte Church reminisces over chat show

Charlotte Church has opened up about her Channel 4 series The Charlotte Church Show, revealing that she would like to get back into comedy.

It's the motor-mouthed host's last show this year and a bumper cast squeezes onto his banquette of banter for the occasion. Ross welcomes arena-filling stand-up Michael McIntyre, actresses Sheridan Smith and Sienna Miller, plus Paralympic gold medallists Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock. Chef Jamie Oliver cooks festive food, while there's music from Charlotte Church and clowning from Broadway-wowing Russian troupe Slava's Snow Show.

Audio: Coogan on Leveson's 'watershed week'

The actor and comedian Steve Coogan has said that the evidence given by witnesses at the start of the Leveson inquiry has made it "a watershed week". Mr Coogan, who this week gave evidence to Lord Justice Leveson's examination of the inquiry, which is examining press ethics in the wake of the recent phone hacking scandal, added that "the McCann evidence alone was vindication of the inquiry".

But while agreeing that it was right to look into the current system of press regulation in the United Kingdom The Guardian's Simon Jenkins said that "I do think celebrities are distorting this debate."

The inquiry resumes on Monday, when those giving evidence will include the singer Charlotte Church.

What could be more festive than an old-fashioned light entertainment special? Apart from Santa eating sprouts, not much. This one-off all-star sketch show marks Ronnie Corbett's 80th birthday earlier this month and sees him joined by a host of younger comics including David Walliams, Matt Lucas, Catherine Tate, Harry Enfield and Miranda Hart, who has said that she studied the effect of Corbett's little looks and head turns to the audience. There's even a reprise of Corbett's signature rambling armchair anecdotes, written by Ben Elton, plus music from Charlotte Church.

After Jonathan Ross announced he was leaving the BBC, there was a frenzy of torrid speculation about his possible Friday Night with Jonathan Ross replacement. Which was ridiculous for two reasons: (a) it was only a chat show and (b) it had to be Graham Norton. Every half-baked pop star, every failing, narcissistic actor thinks that hosting a chat show is the easy route to riches because, surely, there's nothing to it. But Norton, more than anyone, shows all these no-hopers it needs consummate skill and an almost frightening ability to think on your feet. Norton is brilliant and so much better than Ross because he is able to spark and then sustain a proper conversation. And he's flipping funny. Tonight's opener features fiery songstrel Charlotte Church, Hollwood actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and comedian Russell Howard, without whom no panel game or chat show is complete. Or so it seems.

The BBC didn't have to look far for a presenter to fill Jonathan Ross's shoes. All it took was a quick shuffle of the schedules, cross out the word "Monday", replace it with "Friday" and Hey Presto! The Graham Norton Show is all good to go.

We predict his move to the coveted Friday night throne will be sparkling and seamless as the new King Of Chat welcomes Charlotte Church, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and comedian Russell Howard (whose own new series started on BBC3 last night).

The irony of the risque host being turned into the BBC's safe pair of hands in the wake of the Sachsgate fiasco won't be lost on Norton and we'll be disappointed if he doesn't milk this for a bit of comedy mileage. At least, it should be a nice change for female guests not to be leered at.