Lauren Laverne

As one of the closest election results in living memory draws near, Channel 4 have decided to adopt a satirical stance in the face of impending doom (a Tory victory) by inviting Charlie Brooker, David Mitchell and Jimmy Carr to lessen the blow. For anyone not voting Conservative it'll be reminiscent of having George Formby strumming away on his ukulele for the troops or Vera Lynn reassuring the public to "Keep smiling through, just the way you used to do/Till the blue skies chase the dark clouds far away".

Described by David Mitchell as being like "Big Brother but with posher people" you'll still be able to keep up with the results as they come in live whilst enjoying popular shows with an election twist.

Fonejacker will be making several impromptu appearances whilst Lauren Laverne, David Mitchell and Jimmy Carr share the role of compère. Most of the polls suggest its neck and neck as the three main parties race towards the finish line and some light comic relief might be exactly what this election needs before the sad reality settles in for whoever wins: it's going to be a tough couple of years and a fair while until the "skies chase the dark clouds far away".

Jamie Steiner, On The Box, 6th May 2010

Although not quite as miscast as fellow BBC family ent host Graham Norton, Steve Jones is nevertheless an odd choice for this, another TV quiz show. A Question of Sport-lite (circa 1970) with a bit of Screen Test thrown in, Jones struggles to make his scripted one-liners and banter seem anything other than forced. One senses that, like Norton, he's desperate to add some irreverence with a less-santised commentary. The feeling of to be or whoquite knowing what it wants to be or who it wants to appal to isn't helped by the show's erratic quest list, which by the show's erratic guest list, which runs from Pauline Quirke to Lauren Laverne.

Lisa Campbell, Broadcast, 24th July 2009

Responding to the nationwide clamour for a return of Telly Addicts, the BBC have a new panel show about TV. It is positioned as a sort of Mock The Week for people who find current affairs a bit taxing. Handsome idiot Steve Jones from T4 is your host, while the deeply personable Fern Britton and Jason Manford are the team captains for a trivia quiz, while tonight's guests give you a fairly accurate read on the sort of 'hilarity' that will ensue: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Lauren Laverne, Pauline Quirke and Tina Hobley.

TV Bite, 17th July 2009