Jack Whitehall

Radio Times review

Mildly plummy, rapier-witted Jack Whitehall spends a week in a different British city, staying with a host family of strangers, and documenting his experiences. Along the way he visits Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle, Glasgow, Bristol and Essex, but the result is less a travelogue and more a vehicle for his polished TV persona (although his confidence was jarred when he met his host family in Glasgow and realised he'd snogged the daughter a few years previously while on a beach holiday).

At the end of each week, he presents what is essentially a madcap variety show at a local venue. He performs stand-up, which both celebrates and gently ribs each location, and reveals some of the candid-camera stunts he has carried out - in one city he convinced passers-by he was a doctor who had delivered a human baby from a pregnant cow!

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The first episode of Little Crackers offered an object lesson in sharp storytelling. My First Brassiere was a pithy love letter to Barbara Windsor's bosom that offered the surreal sight of the older Babs being confronted with her own burgeoning teenage breasts - she played a shop assistant measuring up her younger self.

Weird, huh? Perky and engaging, with Samantha White striking as the young Babs and Sally Hawkins and Neil Jackson a joy as her parents, this short film played like a trailer for a feature-length story. Someone really should make it.

Next up was Jack Whitehall's bash at his Little Cracker, as Archie Lyndhurst starred as a 10-year-old version of the camp comedian, with Inbetweeners mum Belinda Stewart-Wilson in another 'MILF' role and Whitehall himself as a chap called Robin Hood.

Like Babs' offering, this was another enjoyable little comedy and although Whitehall's idea and execution were spot-on, it's obvious that it's Sky 1's Little Crackers concept that is to thank for the consistent high standard of these yuletide treats.

Jack Whitehall: 'I'm not going to Hollywood'

Jack Whitehall has said that he won't be leaving the UK for Hollywood in the near future.

With Fridays being the unofficial stand-up night of the week (­seriously, check out tonight's telly - so much comedy there's not even room to swing a cat-sized reality show around), the award ceremony dedicated to all things funny sits among welcoming surroundings.

Jonathan Ross is on hosting duties so, as the show is live, we hope somebody at Channel 4 HQ has their quickest finger poised over the "bleep" button.

Those hoping to make winners' speeches include Miranda Hart, who deservedly won best new TV comedy and best comedy actress last year.

She's up for a ­whopping four awards this time, including the people's choice gong, which is voted for by us.

But the category's a toughie this year, with the marvellous Jo Brand and Sarah Millican also hoping to steal the honours. In our eyes, they all deserve to win.

The male awards aren't any easier to predict, with David Mitchell, Graham Norton and Jack Whitehall fighting to be named the nation's favourite male ­comedian (although, given the year he's had, John Bishop should have been up).

While all the names we've mentioned deserve their nominations, there are some categories where you get the impression one or two shows are just in there to make up the numbers.

But as this is comedy night and we're in such a jolly mood, we won't be so cruel as to name them.

Now in their 21st year, the British Comedy Awards have long served as a bellwether for the state of British comedy, from the quirky satire of the early 1990s, through the energetic sketch shows of the mid- to late-90s, to the recent success of family-friendly stand-up comics like Peter Kay, Michael McIntyre and John Bishop. Thanks to a sharp host, a ready supply of funny clips and a suitably witty audience, they've also been one of the few live awards ceremonies actually worth watching.

Tonight's event is hosted live by Jonathan Ross. Leading the nominees is Miranda Hart, who is up for four awards, while Harry Hill gets three nods. Hart, last year's Queen of Comedy winner, is up for the award again, with David Mitchell, Telegraph agony uncle Graham Norton, Jack Whitehall, Jo Brand and Sarah Millican also in the running. Tamsin Greig and Tom Rosenthal are nominated for best TV comedy actress and best comedy breakthrough artist respectively for their roles in Friday Night Dinner, while Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner have been singled out for their contribution to Outnumbered. Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville receives a nomination for his role in the Olympic comedy Twenty Twelve.

Jonathan Ross presides as comedians and TV producers drink themselves wretched and honk and bellow over each other's speeches. Probable attendees include last year's victor Miranda Hart, and this year's nominees for the public vote, Jack Whitehall, David Mitchell, Sarah Millican, Jo Brand and Graham Norton. But best of all, it's live. That combination of booze and live broadcast is really the only reason for this in the first place.