Chris Moyles

Celebrity Juice turns 7 with Throwback Thursday special

Celebrity Juice celebrates its seventh birthday tonight with a special 'Throwback Thursday' episode.

Some of Keith Lemon's favourite games make a reappearance, as Holly Willoughby, Gino D'Acampo, Verne Troyer, Dean Gaffney, Chris Moyles and Tulisa join in the celebrations.

TV thumbs down for radio star Chris Moyles

Chris Moyles's bid to launch a TV career has taken a major blow after Channel 4 axed his show, privately declaring that 'he just doesn't work on screen'.

Another episode in The Many Faces of... strand on BBC Two, narrated by Sally Philips, focused on a comic actor famed for his laugh, his acting skill, and his rather wrinkled looks.

Broadcast to mark the 100th birthday of Sid James, which is in a few weeks, this documentary it has to be said didn't start well. This was nothing to do with James or the programme's production, but more to do with the fact that in the third cut-away you discovered that one of the talking heads featured in this programme was Chris Moyles.

But this aside, the other contributors, including Nigel Planer (busy week for him then) were good. There were also some rare outings of comedies now rarely seen such as Citizen James, which was basically Hancock's Half Hour without Tony Hancock, and looked like a decent show in its own right. There was also his straighter acting, which included appearances in a Quatermass film.

The Carry On films were the main area of covered, but for me the most interesting bit was the coverage of ITV sitcom Bless This House. I was unaware of how popular it was. It was one of the most watched comedies of its day, although this was helped by the fact that the show on the BBC at the same time was Panorama. This just goes to prove that what you really need to make a good sitcom is the right timing - not just good comic timing, but good scheduling too boot.

It was heartening to see the arrival of UK Gold's new five-part series Bring Me Morecambe And Wise on Thursday. Mainly because horrifying memories were still fresh in the mind of Chris Moyles's bewilderingly egocentric Children In Need routine in which he gurned his way between those Eric and Ernie holograms during Bring Me Sunshine.

Fortunately, ten minutes of this series would surely have been enough to convince even Moyles himself of this stark truth: he is not even fit to play the 'And' in Morecambe And Wise.

Professionally, Kenny Everett has much to answer for. The DJ's anarchic innovations in broadcasting inspired everyone from Noel Edmonds to Chris Moyles to conjure up their own increasingly inferior versions. Personally, too, his life was chaotic, with years spent trying to reconcile the fact that he loved his wife but 'fancied Burt Reynolds'. Tim Whitnall's affectionate, even-handed biopic ties the two together beautifully, tracing the erstwhile Maurice Cole's career of delighting the public and cocking a snook at authority while edging, with considerable difficulty, out of the closet. It most obviously invokes BBC4's Python meta-biopic Holy Flying Circus, messing around with dramatic convention and reduces the fourth wall to rubble courtesy of Everett's army of alter egos. Katherine Kelly lends sympathetic, nuanced support as Kenny's wife, Lee Middleton, but really, this is The Oliver Lansley Television Show. Lansley - previously a jobbing comic actor - simply is Everett, in all his needy, contrary, charismatic brilliance. No lazy caricature, this is total immersion. A Bafta nomination is the least he deserves - it's a stunning performance.

First things first. Chris Moyles was brave to have a stab at being a comedy compere on BBC3 last Monday. But if Chris Moyles' Comedy Empire was an attempt to prove he is ready to step into Michael McIntyre's shoes on Comedy Roadshow or Live At The Apollo I'm afraid it's bad news.

Because not even Jimmy Carr's accountant could make the memories of this performance disappear. It's one thing making a radio studio full of toadies rock with laughter, Chris.
But a theatre full of paying punters will always find you out. Especially if you don't actually tell any jokes.

Audio: Tim Minchin will star in Jesus Christ Superstar

Tim Michin has been cast as Judas in the revival of rock musical Jesus Chris Superstar alongside Mel C and Chris Moyles.

The Australian musician and comedian will also star as a drug-taking rockstar in Californication with David Duchovny.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live's Richard Bacon about getting his role on the US series and how the title role of the musical will be cast as a result of a reality show.

The best bits are generally not the guests railing against things they hate - insurance adverts, parrots, and so on. The best bits are when host Frank Skinner disagrees or tries to win them over. Tonight he comes to the defence of reality TV stars, Chris Moyles ("I see him as a cheeky Jabba the Hutt") and Jedward. The finest moment comes when guest Alice Cooper tries to condemn balloon sculptures and our host introduces a man with a riposte so jaw-droppingly impressive, even Cooper has to bow in mock-worship.

Also airing his peeves is Chris Packham, revealing an unexpected resentment - in the series' broadest swipe yet - of the entire human race.

We've been enjoying the funny and impassioned banter this rebooted panel show has prompted. It's in fine fettle again tonight as Alice Cooper rants about reality TV shows, Chris Tarrant bemoans Jedward and Chris Packham shakes his head in despair over his loathing of Chris Moyles, who he describes as 'a totemic figure for the celebration of mediocrity and ignorance'.

At this point I should say that not only have I never watched this programme before, but I've never watched or listened to any of Chris Moyles' shows (for that matter I've never listened to Radio 1). As a result I was somewhat hesitant at watching Chris Moyles' Quiz Night, but as there were no other new comedy programmes on I had to make do.

For those who have also never seen the show before, each edition features Moyles taking part in a quiz against three celebrity guests. The audience beforehand vote for who they think will win and those who pick the winner win a share of £1,000 (on this week's edition the money won by everyone equalled £21 each). The player who comes last has to sing out the show.

When I spotted the panel which consisted of Jason Manford, Jeremy Clarkson and opera singer Katherine Jenkins, I thought that as a panel it was okay, although I can't help but think that it sounds like Stewart Lee's idea of hell. Anyone who saw the first episode of his Comedy Vehicle will testify.

However, the other guests who appeared during the questions, including Britney Spears, Robbie Williams and the Sugababes, took it down to the level that I expected from Moyles - cheap and rubbish. This show isn't something that I'd watch again.