Graham Norton

Wossy: I don't watch Norton

Jonathan Ross has confessed he shuns his TV chat show replacement Graham Norton's programme. He revealed: "I never used to watch him when he was on Monday nights, so I don't watch him when he's on Friday now."

Alan Carr returned tonight with a new series of Chatty Man and a plethora of half-decent guests, including David Hasselhoff, Colin Farrell and Cee Lo Green.

It would be all to easy to compare his talk show to Graham Norton's Friday-night programme and indeed, it would also be unfair to do so, because Alan Carr's efforts amount to nothing more than a pale imitation of Norton's show.

Without the celebratory atmosphere of a primetime weekend slot, Chatty Man felt listless and tired, which is never a good sign for a series-opener. As Carr limped through a weak preamble full of forgettable gags, he appeared to be lagging before the show had even started.

His first guest was David Hasselhoff, whose main purpose seemed to be providing a variety of Hoff-based puns (most notably, 'f*** hoff' and 'six-and-a-hoff') but who struggled to command the full attention of both the audience and Carr himself.

In fact, the host appeared slightly distracted throughout the programme and as the endless stream of guests flowed on, his focus waned and he seemed to be listening to them less and less.

Carr is an amiable little chap, but given that he's suppose to be a comedian, his jokes were far too thin on the ground. When the cast of The Inbetweeners discussed their show's success, they outshone him to a considerable extent.

The boys were witty and charming, but they pretty much led their own interview, a large portion of which centred on the burgeoning career of Joe Thomas' left testicle.

Unless Chatty Man can pull in more guests like them, this series is going to be a disappointing one.

Poor James Blunt. Ever since he shuffled onto the music scene with his pre-pubescent twang and feminine looks, he's become something of a pop-culture hate-figure. His name is not only a by-word for a wet blanket, but cockney rhyming slang for the rudest word in the English language.

It can't be easy for comedians and TV presenters lumped with the singer - who's currently promoting a new album - to resist the temptation to mock and berate the singer. Astonishingly, Graham Norton managed to restrain himself when Blunt appeared on his Friday-night show, but surely the acid tongues of Ian Hislop and Paul Merton wouldn't show him such mercy; surely, they would lay into Blunt and rip him apart, ruthlessly mocking his every word?

Well, perhaps they would have done, were they given the chance. But Blunt proved to be the funniest panellist on the programme last night; perhaps even the funniest off the series so far. As he regaled stories of dinner with Bill Clinton and Cher and joked about his army days, he outshone even Merton, who was on excellent form himself.

When Hislop called him a "cool dude", he snapped back: "Thanks, Dad" and the audience roared with laughter, delighted by yet another Blunticism. It was actually fellow panellist Nick Robinson who found himself the butt of his teammates' jokes, most notably when footage of his recent outburst at a protester's banner was shown.

Even Blunt's appalling leather jacket went unmentioned; such was the distracting sophistication of his humour. He might have trouble shaking that rhyming slang from his name, but perhaps "James Blunt" will now be a by-word for "self-deprecating wit of the first order".

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First Night: The Graham Norton Show, BBC1

Relief at the BBC as Norton plays it safe in Ross's shoes.

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.

'BBC can trust me', says Graham Norton

Graham Norton has assured the BBC he can be trusted not to ignite any scandals after stepping into Jonathan Ross's shoes on radio and TV.