Jason Byrne

Radio 2's Hot Gossip is a panel show hosted by Claudia Winkleman about celebrity tittle-tattle, but not in the shameless we-don't-care-if-you-think-we're-shallow sense. It is, in fact, propelled by shame.

Winkleman's job is to ask questions about the latest goings-on among the rich and famous to a gaggle of publicity-hungry comics who then spew damning one-liners about said celebrities whom they deem to be lower down the food chain than they are. It's less a case of scraping the barrel than tipping it sideways to see what is lurking beneath it. This explains why Winkleman shrieks and whoops at her guests' every utterance as if living in fear that a nanosecond of silence will bring the audience to their senses and prompt a stampede for the exit.

All on the programme seem to think they are above discussing the antics of bed-hopping footballers or reality television alumni, despite the fact that this is exactly what they have signed up for. This week, Jason Byrne was quizzed about a star of the TV series The Only Way Is Essex; he pleaded ignorance both of the show and its well-known acronym TOWIE, which he said he had assumed was "some sort of slang for a tramp". In another instance, Winkleman puzzled over the identity of the former X Factor singer Cher Lloyd. "Wasn't she in the singing thing?" she asked, making out as if she spends her Saturday nights working through her Tarkovsky collection. She wasn't fooling anyone.

Hot Gossip is for people who claim to loathe Hello! magazine, but make weekly dentist appointments so that they can inhale its contents in the waiting room. Why it exists remains a mystery. If the format seems tired, the people who appear on it sound positively knackered, their exhaustion presumably compounded by their round-the-clock schedule of appearances on identikit BBC panel shows.

It's been a funny old year and Jason Manford and Alistair McGowan intend to milk it for laughs while they still can with a whole bunch of (mostly) family friendly topical gags that haven't had an airing yet on all those other topical comedy shows and are in danger of passing their sell-by date if they don't get used up soon.

Yes, it's Mock The Year, ITV style, with Phillip Schofield as host, plus a round-up of clips that made us laugh on the web - counted down by Come Dine with Me's Dave Lamb.

One comedian who had an excellent 2011 is Patrick Monahan, winner of ITV1's Show Me The Funny. He does well here, while we can only assume headliner Jason Byrne didn't get the email saying his material was supposed to be about 2011.

And don't miss tenor Alfie Boe with a performance that provides the best surprise of the night.

The return of this annual comedy special, which sees comedians deliver their verdict on the past year. Jason Manford, Alistair McGowan, Jason Byrne and Patrick Monahan join silvery-haired, perma-smiling host Phillip Schofield to run through their highs, lows, loves and loathes of the past 12 months. There's also an appearance from much-loved West End tenor Alfie Boe.

Judging by the line-ups for the third series of this programme, I think it's safe to say that Dave are running low on suitable locations to film. The first episode featured Ardal O'Hanlon performing in Dublin, a city which the programme's already covered in the last series when Jason Byrne performed there. Later in the series, Stephen K Amos is performing in London, Jack Whitehall's location in the first series. And Reginald D Hunter is performing in Edinburgh, which, as far as I know, isn't where he lives currently. It's certainly not his hometown, although since that would mean filming in America you can excuse Dave for not going there...

In terms of the first edition of the series, O'Hanlon seemed to be performing well, but like many an occasion on this programme I was more impressed by the guests he had performing alongside him. This episode featured one-liner stand-up Gary Delaney (who, out of interest to northern comedy fans, is Sarah Millican's boyfriend) and Josie Long. I probably favoured Delaney's one-liners over Long's narrative, if I'm honest, but both demonstrated why they're two of the most sought after comedians in the country.

Comedian Mickey Flanagan hosts a new series of the light-hearted stand-up show recorded at London's Hammersmith Apollo theatre. Tonight's guests are energetic rising star Seann Walsh, who muses on Tube-travel etiquette, and Irishman Jason Byrne, who performs a typically smutty routine about having sex with his wife.

Tonight's the turn of Dublin comedian and Edinburgh veteran Jason Byrne to do the Dave thing. He performs his energetic, excited act in front of his home crowd at the Olympia Theatre and is supported by Rob Rouse, a funny northerner living in South London with his duck. Milton Jones is also on the bill. He may look like he's licked the electric socket but he's actually very funny. His wry observational wit will have you nicking his gags at work tomorrow.

Comedians re-create childhood photos

Take a dozen comedians, add some snaps from the family album, mix them all up and what do you get? Featuring Alan Carr, Miranda Hart, Greg Davies, Jessica Hynes, Sarah Millican, Dom Joly, Jason Byrne, Shappi Khorsandi, Chris Addison, Jimmy Carr, Russell Howard and Jon Holmes.

Ben Elton performed his first live stand up in a decade in these Dave specials first shown in October. The so-called "Godfather Of Alternative" has become comedy's embarrassing Dad in recent years, what with We Will Rock You and all, but his routines on rebranding and body piercing in particular show that he's still driven by the same moral sense and sarcastic despair at modern life as ever. Jason Byrne and Canadian Tom Stade guest.

One of digital channel Dave's few original commissions, Carpool is a novelty chat-show devised and hosted by Robert Llewellyn, in which he ferries celebrity guests inside a car fixed with cameras.

This simple premise allows Llewellyn and his passengers to trade banter which, while rarely hilarious, provides a pleasant way to spend half an hour

His first guest was likable Irish comedian Jason Byrne, followed by a natter with Jo Brand - clearly one of showbiz's nicest stars - in which she revealed that her superb NHS comedy Getting On was filmed in an abandoned hospital in the dead of winter with no heating facilities.

A slight but genial slice of compact-concept television.

For its makers, Carpool certainly has budgetary virtues. Instead of going to the expense of hiring a studio and building a set, they simply send out Robert Llewellyn in his Toyota Prius to pick up celebrities, whom he is then filmed interviewing in his car. Cheap as chips. This week, it's the turn of Jason Byrne, en route from the airport, who waxes vaguely amusing about conspiracy theories. Jo Brand is the next passenger, getting to retell the story of how she once flunked an audition to play herself.