Jon Holmes (I)

The unspoken bigotry of the BBC's diversity quotas

Giving ethnic minorities and women a leg-up is deeply patronising.

The Now Show comic axed for more women and minorities

The BBC was at the centre of a damaging diversity row last night after one of its top radio stars was sacked for being 'white and male'.
BAFTA award-winning comedian Jon Holmes was axed from The Now Show - the hit Radio 4 programme he has appeared on for 18 years - when bosses told him 'we're recasting it with more women and diversity'.

Now Show axes Jon Holmes and Mitch Benn

Jon Holmes and Mitch Benn have been axed from Radio 4's The Now Show - in the name of diversity.

Review: Jon Holmes's autobiography

The style is light, conversational and breezily funny, as you might expect from a radio personality and co-writer of such comedies as [Dead Ringers, Horrible Histories and Listen Against, the mash-up show so recently at the centre of a plagiarism storm.

Stars annoucned for Chortle Book Festival 2015

David Baddiel, Nicholas Parsons, Isy Suttie, Phill Jupitus, Jon Holmes and Bob Servant are among the names appearing at this year's Chortle Comedy Book Festival.

Jon Holmes interview

The controversial broadcaster on being inappropriate ... and getting away with it.

Jon Holmes stands up for Australian hoax DJs

Radio jokester Jon Holmes has stood up for the DJs who made a hoax call to tragic nurse Jacintha Saldanha.

Jon Holmes to replace Danny Wallace on Xfm breakfast

Jon Holmes is set to replace the out-going Danny Wallace on the station's Breakfast Show.

A mainstay of Friday nights (whenever The News Quiz of the Edinburgh Fringe isn't on), Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis's satirical comedy returns for its 37th series.

Along with other regulars Mitch Benn and Jon Holmes, this week's guests were Pippa Evans and John Finnemore. While all had their strengths, my favourite moment was Finnemore's routine about the Eurozone crisis using what was described as, "the longest, most torturous and yet simultaneously the most over-simplistic analogy in Now Show history."

One of the other things I found enjoyable was the show's coverage of the Diamond Jubilee, mainly due to the fact I got just about all of my jubilee coverage from satirical shows. It's less tedious and more spiritually up-lifting than watching the news. I'm not a monarchist - I couldn't care less about some posh lady in a rather fancy hat - so for me this was a nice way of getting all the news while cutting out all the rubbish filling-in that TV channels feel they need to do.

The Now Show proves once again that it's a highly competent satirical comedy that could well continue for another 37 series...