Jack Whitehall

Edinburgh festival 2011: Jack Whitehall... and his dad

Rising comedy star Jack Whitehall is dragging his 'ranting lunatic' father onstage for a series of shows at Edinburgh Festival 2011. They talk to Dominic Cavendish.

'The new Inbetweeners' stars Jack Whitehall as student

Fresh Meat, starring Jack Whitehall and Joe Thomas and created by the makers of Peep Show, is being hailed as a university version of hit comedy The Inbetweeners.

Fringe 2011 comedy: 5 shows about parents

Featuring Scott Capurro, Tom Rosenthal, Catie Wilkins, Des Bishop and Jack Whitehall.

The ubiquitous Claudia Winkleman presents a third episode of King Of, the chat show with a difference. Not a very big difference, but a difference nonetheless. The idea is that the panellists pick who or what is the "king of" various things: the best cheese, the best Chelsea midfielder, the best whatever. Like Room 101, then, but backwards. Today's guests are Lorraine Kelly, daytime TV sofa-dweller, and the comedian Jack Whitehall.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this show is that the unbroadcast pilot has been made available online.

The Matt Lucas Awards is a TV version of the BBC Radio 2 show And the Winner Is... in which the Little Britain star presents the Lucas Awards to unusual categories, the nominations being decided by three celebrity guests. The BBC decided that the pilot was so good that they've commissioned a full series and have released the pilot on their comedy website.

The first episode featured Dave Gorman, Ruby Wax and Jack Whitehall as guests suggesting nominations for the Lucas Awards for "Most Incomprehensible British Accent", "The Guest with The Most Useless Talent" and "Worst Song by an Otherwise Reputable Artist". Out of the guests, for me it was Wax who was funniest, especially with her ability to memories 400 different camp songs, and her attempt to call Blue's Anthony Costa on Whitehall's mobile phone.

I also enjoyed what Lucas and his house band, David Arnold and The Available Session Musicians, referred to as the "excruciating theme tune", which for me wasn't excruciating at all, but rather jolly.

Overall, it's clear to see why the BBC felt comfortable putting this pilot out - whether or not they will put the pilot on the TV before the series goes out is another matter.

Following the success of last year's run, Channel 4 brings back its two and a half-hour stand-up binge for a second run, recorded live at the 02 Arena on Tuesday. The line-up is a familiar assortment of British comedy big shots: John Bishop, Jo Brand, Jack Dee, Jack Whitehall and even some whose names don't begin with "J", such as the inescapable chuckler Michael McIntyre. The fact that all the proceeds go to charity is an easy way of disguising the commission of a safe and inoffensive night of very light entertainment.

Well done to the 15,000 people who actually paid for tickets to this comedy marathon a couple of weeks ago at London's cavernous O2 Arena.

It was all in a good cause - for Great Ormond Street - but you can see it without forking out for the Tube fare.

Alan Carr, Dara O'Briain, Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Jack Whitehall - if there's a comedian you've heard of but have not got around to seeing in the flesh, they're most probably going to be here.

As Jack Dee drily notes, the backstage area must have been quite an experience - all those comedians sitting around... NOTICING things.

It's hard to pick a standout stand-up, but Sarah Millican is fabulous and Sean Lock goes down a storm with topical gags about Ryan Giggs and Twitter.

And I love the introduction Lock got from Jonathan Ross: "He couldn't be more attractive to the ladies if he was a Take That ticket made of chocolate. That vibrates."

Matt Lucas to re-record pilot following Bin Laden gag

Matt Lucas was ordered to re-record parts of his new comedy show - after outrageous comic Jack Whitehall drew a penis on a photo of Osama Bin Laden.