Patrick Kielty

TV bosses apologise for Patrick Kielty's Winehouse gags

Bosses at telly channel Comedy Central have apologised to viewers for screening a show this week featuring Irish comic Patrick Kielty making sick jokes about Amy Winehouse.

On Saturday, the network took a tip from The X Factor with the live final of its New Comedy Award, presented by Patrick Kielty. Six hundred acts were boiled down to six, voted on by the audience. This being Radio 2, the audience sounded about as edgy as a Parent Teacher Association drinking Merlot, but that came as a relief to one comedian who said, "There's nothing worse than looking at the crowd and thinking I've got things in my medicine cabinet older than you." There was lots of encouraging applause and no one heckled. My favourite was the acerbic Joe Lycett, with his mordantly Frankie Howerd-esque story of a driving lesson in Manchester, but Pat Cahills ingenious rap about having your dog put down was also very good. The winner was Angela Barnes from Maidstone whose weapon was the one-liner ("It's no mistake that the anagram of Maidstone is I am Stoned - that's all there is to do!") and who should fit seamlessly into the throng of talented female comedians on radio and TV.

P. Kielty: I've only just made up with Richard Park

His spats with Glasgow "headmaster" Richard Park made headlines when they clashed on Fame Academy, but comedian Patrick Kielty admits that the pair have only recently "hugged out" their differences.

Patrick Kielty interview

The New Comedy Awards threw up the strange situation of a semi-finalist from Glasgow having to travel to Bath for his competition, while a crowd of Englishmen were flown north for theirs.
Patrick joked: "That's how the BBC spend your licence fee."

Video: Patrick Kielty offers his tips on stand-up

Comedian and presenter Patrick Kielty speaks to BBC Breakfast about how to perform successful stand-up comedy.

He is fronting the BBC Radio 2 New Comedy Award 2011 which is a nationwide search for the best new stand-up comedy talent in the UK.

BBC revives New Comedy Award

A BBC stand-up competition that launched the careers of Alan Carr and Marcus Brigstocke is being revived six years after it was scrapped, with comedian Patrick Kielty lined up to present programming around its return.

"A roast is where we show someone how much we love them by constantly ridiculing them. It's a bit like a marriage," says host Jimmy Carr in one of the funnier lines from tonight's "tribute" to Barbara Windsor.

For reasons known only to herself, the 73-year-old Carry On actress agreed to sit through this hour of public humiliation at the hands of comedians such as Alan Carr, Patrick Kielty and Rich Hall.

Although some of the observations are affectionate, they're mostly cruel jokes about her age and sexual history. Windsor gets her own back with a scathing riposte at the end, but otherwise it's pretty uncomfortable viewing.

There comedy roasts are a curious beast but tonight's ribbing of Barbara Windsor is downright uncomfortable.

Most of the gags are about her age, the number of lovers she's had and her criminal connections. The problem is the line-up. While Bernard Cribbins and Cheryl Fergison have earned their place here, the same can't be said for Patrick Kielty, a regular fixture usually sniggering childishly at his own gags.

Comedian Sean Lock looks like a body double for EastEnders' Billy Mitchell and as for Rich Hall - as Babs puts it herself: "I don't know who you are."

The former Queen of the Vic does her best to sit gamely through this, muttering, "Ooh, you gotta larf," but the only bit that feels affectionate is a sketch from her former EastEnders co-stars about how much they're missing her. Or not.

"A roast is where we show someone how much we love them by constantly ridiculing them. It's a bit like a marriage," says host Jimmy Carr in one of the funnier lines from tonight's "tribute" to Barbara Windsor. For reasons known only to herself, the 73-year-old Carry On actress agreed to sit through this hour of public humiliation at the hands of comedians such as Alan Carr, Patrick Kielty and Rich Hall. Although some of the observations are affectionate, they're mostly cruel jokes about her age and sexual history. Windsor gets her own back with a scathing riposte at the end, but otherwise it's pretty uncomfortable viewing.

Has any other presenter ever invested their heart and soul in a show as much as Davina McCall did with Big Brother? Not many people would have put as much enthusiasm into their last day at work as she did on the Ultimate Big Brother Final. And how does C4 repay her? By rounding up a bunch of comedians to insult her in an amusing manner. There's gratitude for you.

Jimmy Carr hosts as Patrick Kielty, Jack Whitehall, Rich Hall, Ed Byrne and Debra Stephenson poke fun, with tributes from her showbiz mates such as Dermot O'Leary, Chris Moyles and Julian Clary. Plus, of course, some former housemates, including Sam Pepper.

Sam's unique talent in the house was rubbing people up the wrong way without even trying. Wonder what he'll do to get under Davina's skin now that he's a free man?