Jonathan Ross

Radio Times review

Russell Brand almost torpedoed Jonathan Ross's career after the Sachs Incident, and caused convulsions within the BBC that still smart to this day. But the scandal didn't lead to a falling out between the terrible twosome - Brand appeared on Ross's show a year ago and he's back again.

As Brand is never more than a stone's throw from an outraged newspaper headline, he's bound to fulfil expectations as the country's chief Contrarian Comedian, particularly after all of that nonsense about not voting during his Newsnight interview with Jeremy Paxman. Also on the show are actress Goldie Hawn, Dermot O'Leary, presenter of the National TV Awards (22 January), and troubadour James Blunt, who provides the music.

One of the few festive programmes where the people on screen are normally drunker than the viewers. Jimmy Carr again presides over a panel game that usually attracts a good deal of correspondence from people who like to be offended at Christmas.

The passing of legislation earlier this year forcing Jack Whitehall to be included in all comedy programmes on all channels was controversial, but - perhaps due to some sort of hangover from his competitive days as a public schoolboy - he's well suited to the quiz format.

Whitehall and fellow bellower Jonathan Ross have gentler comic minds to offset them, answering questions about the past 12 months of news: Kristen Schaal is this year's woman, and there's also Richard Ayoade, who's effortlessly defused this gnarly bearpit in past Big Fat Quizzes. Plus, Noel Fielding and Dara O'Briain.

It was a bit rich of Jonathan Ross to call C4 "f***ing idiots" for cutting Steve Coogan short at The British Comedy Awards.

You were the host, Jonathan. Perhaps if you'd kept a tighter rein on the earlier ramblings - yes you, Will Ferrell - poor old Coogan would not have suffered such a gross invasion of his publicity.

By all accounts Coogan gave a pretty funny speech. So I guess if C4 had left it in it would have looked totally out of place on this show. The night opened with Rossy admitting "It's hard to know what makes good comedy" and ended with us in no doubt as to what does not.

No wonder so many people complained when the BBC cut short a repeat of Mrs Brown's Boys to announce Mandela's death. We're so starved of laughs these days we must protect the few we have.

The rant by Johnny Vegas detailing everything that is wrong about British comedy should be nailed to the wall of every TV office. Failing that, just nail it to Jack Whitehall. His face gets everywhere these days.

Jonathan Ross: C4 idiots for cutting Coogan's speech

Host of the awards show slams channel for ending the live broadcast in favour of a Gogglebox repeat.

Or rather the British TV Comedy Awards, where sitcoms and panel shows are championed rather than pure standups - fair enough, as this talent tends to lose out at the Baftas and elsewhere. With its unsentimental yet uncynical take on the news review, The Last Leg could well edge out Alan Carr and Graham Norton's efforts in the entertainment programme category; hospital sitcom Getting On has also done well with three noms, while many will be rooting for kids' hit Horrible Histories to be named best sketch show. Jonathan Ross hosts.

Who makes you laugh? You may find yourself asking that more than once tonight as the annual Comedy Awards are dished out. Humour is a subjective business and what makes one person chortle can leave another totally nonplussed. Jonathan Ross will be trying to keep best order for tonight's gag fest and it's good to see fresh-ish names such as Steve Delaney, Jonny Sweet and Tom Basden cropping up among a clutch of usual suspects. The night climaxes with the crowning of the King or Queen of Comedy - can Jack Whitehall hang on to his title? Given he's up against exactly the same opposition as last year - a bit unimaginative, that - then why not?

You could make a case that TV comedy is having a bit of a moment right now. Go back a few years and there was a dearth of fresh sitcoms and most panel games felt tired. Now we have fizzingly funny scripted shows from Fresh Meat to Man Down. Meanwhile, Would I Lie to You? has evolved into the perfect panel game (though A League of Their Own runs it a raucous second). Graham Norton and Alan Carr cross wits for the chatshow crown. And RT's own Sarah Millican has devised a blend of stand-up and chat that works like a dream.

This and much more is likely to be up for celebration by Jonathan Ross and the assembled, well-refreshed comedy gods. Nominations were under wraps as we went to press, so we can only hope BBC2's Count Arthur Strong gets the recognition from his peers he didn't get in the ratings and that other minority tastes like Peep Show and Getting On have their moments in the sun. But whoever wins the prizes, any ceremony populated by drunken comics is bound to be a blast.

Jonathan Ross judges Tom Daley interview to perfection

The Wossy of old might have struggled with this chat. Get the tone wrong with Tom Daley, and a nation would have been on his back. But actually, Wossy judged this one to perfection.

He split opinion down the middle but, to our minds, Count Arthur Strong was the comedy hero of the year. So it's good to see the BBC Two sitcom and its star, Steve Delaney, up for three awards in the Comedy Awards. One of those is best new comedy programme, the winner of which is announced live in tonight's programme, ahead of next week's awards proper. Count Arthur is up against Plebs, Psychobitches and Cuckoo. Jonathan Ross is on hand for gong duties and to give a rundown of the other 14 prizes on offer. Familiar names abound, including Ant & Dec, Graham Norton, Miranda Hart and David Mitchell, plus there's welcome recognition for the genius of Getting On.

Jonathan Ross may quit to move to USA with family

Jonathan Ross 'may quit multi-million pound ITV chat show deal to move to America with family'.