Jack Whitehall

The charity extravaganza returns for a third year, filmed at London's O2 Arena a week ago. Jessie J, coach on The Voice UK, opens proceedings with a live performance. She's followed by an all-star cast of comedians including Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Jack Dee, Jo Brand and Jack Whitehall. Once again, the two Carrs - Jimmy and Alan - will also be "hijacking" the commercial breaks. It's all in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Jack Whitehall has a scream as his clothes fly off

Jack Whitehall has a scream as his clothes fly off while he's attempting a simulated wing-walk.

After running, rowing and cycling his way from Paris to London in aid of Sport Relief, it's back to the day job for John Bishop tonight as he takes a guest turn on the opening episode of Sky's popular panel show. Alongside master of ceremonies James Corden, he's an ever-present source of the type of free-flowing sporting banter that's made the show one of the broadcaster's top performers.

The addition of Jack Whitehall, who replaces F1-bound Georgie Thompson as a regular panellist, is another shot in the arm for a series that's fast becoming essential viewing for sports fans and phobics alike.

Jack Whitehall plays worst teacher ever in new sitcom

Comedian Jack Whitehall hopes his new sitcom will earn top marks.

Review: Hit the Road Jack

Jack Whitehall has a very likeable on-stage presence, and that charm is noticeable in Hit the Road Jack - not quite the right vehicle, but one that does showcase a lot of his talents.

Gigglebox weekly #43 - Hit the Road Jack

This week saw a new comedy show starring Jack Whitehall on Channel 4. The problem is that it's a bit hard to categorise it.

Comedian Jack Whitehall, 23, has always been somewhat prodigious, first arriving on our screens aged just 20. He won further acclaim last year with his scene-stealing turn in student sitcom Fresh Meat. Now he gets this solo vehicle, which finds him travelling to UK cities to learn about their culture before performing at a local venue. First up is Newcastle, so he meets football hero Alan Shearer, welcomes musical duo Rizzle Kicks and, most amusingly, stays with a Geordie family and heads "out on the toon" with the son.

Jack Whitehall was on a truly tedious journey whith his comedy roadshow Hit the Road Jack, which began in Cardiff. I couldn't have been won over more decisively by Whitehall's stint as student toff in Fresh Meat; it was spot on, very funny, and that bit with the dying horse unexpectedly slayed me. No wonder they gave him his own show.

But Whitehall is evidently only as good as his script, and this one stinks. First he does a bit of stand-up at Blaenavon Workmen's Hall; his "posho visits the provinces" schtick goes down well live, if not on-screen, with material about the Welshness of Doctor Who, in which he compares the tardis to a Welsh girl's vagina ("you wanna see something that's bigger on the inside?").

The real volumetric mystery here, however, is his weirdly bouffant hair - what product is he using? Anyway, we flit to a bizarre, pointless interlude in which Whitehall pretends to be a rugby coach (now in a blond wig which makes him look like Owen Wilson). The team, set up to appear stupid, just look nonplussed. Later, Whitehall goes and stays with a Valleys family - stuff on male voice choirs and cameos on Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm ensue. Hilarity does not.

For Whitehall's jokes fall into but two camps: unimaginative stereotyping of the Welsh, and studenty. (He will keep on about shotting Jagermeister or downing Smirnoff Ices, when clearly he's just swallowed his own publicity). He appears to be going for a kind of gap yah colonial tour round the wilds of Great Britain - anywhere outside the Home Counties - in which we're encouraged to laugh at the natives. I can't quite believe Whitehall's this dumb; presumably he'll soon be doing interviews featuring the phrase "regrettable career choice". Or maybe he really was a one-trick pony.

I quite like Jack Whitehall. The posh thing no longer irritates and he was great in Fresh Meat. But the stand-up-meets-chat-show-meets-hidden-camera format of Hit The Road Jack is woefully thin. I know Channel 4's overgrown teens have finally accepted their Russell Brand crush will remain forever unrequited and have now switched to Jack instead. But if they keep giving him guff like this I fear they'll end up having their hearts broken again.

'This has been lush,' sounds very odd in a snooty English voice and Jack Whitehall played cultures clashing for all they were worth in Hit The Road Jack - a move not dissimilar from Sarah Millican and her working class Geordie jokes aimed at a traditionally middle class BBC Two audience that are currently going down well in her Television Programme.

His comedy road trip kicked off in Cardiff where he stayed with a local family and joined a local men's choir. They Welsh. He British. Nationality-based awkwardness obviously ensued, before Whitehall took on a cameo role in soap opera Pobol y Cwm and rounded up with a stand-up gig.

He shamelessly revelled in every boyo cliché in the book (token rugby coach in particular), but, playing on the posh chump charm of Fresh Meat's JP, Whitehall pulled it off.