Jo Brand

Nurse was both unexpected and wholly predictable, in that you could put safer money on Paul Whitehouse (and Esther Coles) excelling than on any Cheltenham nag. Mental health has of course been explored with increasing and justifiable interest, in comedy and drama and documentary, but seldom, Jo Brand excluded, with such bittersweet wit.

Whitehouse, playing many of what one of his characters is more than happy to call the "nutters", catches, with astonishing nuance, the great many tics and self-serving justifications, and grievances (and impairments) both wholly real and wholly imagined, of the umbrella under which we still lump the impossibly diverse characteristics of the "mentally ill". Coles, as Nurse, exudes, not least in her snatched in-car meals and phone calls, the scale of the Sisyphean task she has chosen. As so often these days, we're left questioning whether circumstance begets mental ill-health, or vice quite versa.

I hesitate ever to use the word "valuable" of a comedy, but it is.

Radio Times review

Although it manages to keep the smutty/lavatorial humour to a minimum, Jack Whitehall's exuberant reaction to solving an Only Connect puzzle makes Stephen Fry smile. "You've made a happy man very old," he sighs.

Several clips in this compilation of QI highlights have an ocular theme: Phill Jupitus tries on night vision glasses, Alan Davies a peripheral vision aid and Josh Widdecombe "railway spectacles", while Jo Brand reckons her bonnet with a monocle probably belonged to an elderly Dickensian prostitute. Plus there are some terrific "liquid larks" and scientific tricks. The one involving stroking a fake hand gets Sara Pascoe very excited indeed.

Ed Byrne and Jo Brand for Great Comic Relief Bake Off

16 new celebrities will be feeling the heat of Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry this February, but at least they'll have four presenters in the Bake Off tent to sweeten the deal. Regular Great British Bake Off presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins will be joined by comedians Ed Byrne and Jo Brand.

Radio Times review

Now in its 25th year, The British Comedy Awards remains that rare thing: an awards ceremony with the potential for something unpredictable and interesting to happen. Still, some things are guaranteed: Jonathan Ross will say something deeply off-colour, making the audience "Ooh" like mischievous schoolchildren. Leading the nominations with six is Matt Berry's shouty-voiced sitcom Toast Of London, while among those competing for the King Or Queen Of Comedy award are David Mitchell, Jo Brand and Greg Davies.

QI confirms special one-off show at University of Kent

A special one-off version of hit BBC TV quiz show QI is to be held at the University of Kent as part of the institution's 50th birthday celebrations. The line up will include regulars Alan Davies, Sandi Toksvig, Jo Brand and Phill Jupitus. Stephen Fry will not be present, but his place will be taken by the show's creator and producer, John Lloyd.

The truth behind the 'tears of a clown' cliche

Comedians tend to be emotionally disturbed people - but usually stop short of developing serious mental health issues. That's the opinion of psychiatric nurse turned stand-up Jo Brand, who says: 'In a simplistic way, comedians are not all sad people, but I think they are all emotionally disturbed people.'

Radio Times review

Those who were offended by the childish "poo and willies" humour of a recent QI won't be thrilled to hear mention of male and female genitalia, pubic hair and prostitution in tonight's edition. But not to tune in would mean missing some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, including Alan Davies wearing antique glasses for those with poor peripheral vision. You'd also miss Stephen Fry apoplectic with embarrassment at having accidentally described Jo Brand as an ignorant pig. And you wouldn't know how impossible it is to twirl your right foot clockwise while trying to draw a six in the air with your right hand. Bet you're trying to do that right now.

Radio Times review

Occasionally you have to wonder at WILTY?'s booking process. I mean, if you were searching for a quick-witted guest with a sharp sense of humour, would you immediately come up with the name of bushcraft expert Ray Mears? In fact he acquits himself very well, especially considering he's sitting alongside fiercely comic guests such as Jo Brand. She comes up with a ridiculous story about hitch-hiking down to the coast on Christmas Day that could be the basis of a Tarantino film as well as one about squeezing through an ex-boyfriend's dog flap. Both will make you cry with laughter.

Once again the best exchanges are between the peerless Lee Mack and David Mitchell. Carried away with his tale about a fox (illustrated beautifully by Rob Brydon doing an impersonation of Basil Brush), Lee says something that David pounces on with almost Poirot-like powers of deduction. It's very impressive.

Make the most of tonight's edition as WILTY? is taking a break for a few weeks.

Brighton Comedy Festival highlights

Bridget Christie, Jo Brand, Simon Amstell, Rich Hall, Jon Richardson, Dave Gorman and Sara Pascoe are set to perform.