Rob Brydon

Rob Brydon needs no excuse to break into song, which he engineers tonight by inviting fellow Welshman Tom Jones onto his chat show. Thrusting a guitar into Sir Tom's hands, Brydon joins him in a rousing version of Elvis's A Mess of Blues. Interviews with actress Emilia Fox and wildlife expert Steve Backshall make up the rest of the half hour.

The beauty of Rob Brydon as a chat show host is that without seemingly trying too hard or forcing the pace he manages to put a smile on your face. And boy, can he play a crowd. Even before his guests have arrived tonight, he picks a comedy argument with a woman in the audience who is in a wheelchair, and it comes across as sharp, good-natured - and very funny.

Then the revolving bookcase delivers Ronan Keating, Jason Manford and Neil Morrissey by turns, and once they're all on the leather sofa the chemistry works a treat. Plus, of course, everybody gets to sing.

Another half hour of frothy fun with the inimitable Mr Rob Brydon, comprising a naughty natter with South Shields comedian Sarah Millican, who talks about her rise to stardom having only attended a comedy club for the first time aged 29. There's also a lesson in elegance with cross-dressing artist Grayson Perry, and a romantic gesture from musician Newton Faulkner.

The Rob Brydon Show review - Episode 3.2

I haven't any real qualms about The Rob Brydon Show this week - I never do, to be honest. It's a nice little show, and I think I speak on the behalf of everyone when I say that I don't miss the stand-up section.

Julia Davis interview

Nighty Night creator Julia Davis tells Metro about the inspiration behind her characters, working with Rob Brydon and her new Sky Atlantic sitcom Hunderby.

Affable Rob Brydon's light-hearted chat show is pleasant enough but has little to distinguish it from others of its kind. Tonight he's joined by Barbara Windsor who shares a delightful Amy Winehouse anecdote and has fun sending-up her EastEnders alias Peggy Mitchell's banshee-like behaviour. Chef Heston Blumenthal also drops by to discuss barbecuing etiquette and sleek doo-wop band The Overtones provide the music.

In a different setting, it's easy to imagine Rob Brydon being persuasive, teasing the most difficult and troubling of secrets away from celeb bosoms.

A lively half-hour chat show is not the place for that, however. So as it returns for a third series, Rob contents himself with comedy talk from Michael McIntyre and festival talk with Alex James, who's about to run a food and music event with Jamie Oliver on his Oxfordshire estate. Lovers of chat-show bingo should fill their game cards with the words "Blur", "farm" and "cheese".

Music comes from the racing car-loving Scottish singer Amy Macdonald.

The Rob Brydon Show review - Episode 3.1

Real, real credit to Rob Brydon for managing to inject all the humour he could into what - if it had been left to Alex James - would have been a very dull and boring interview.

Rob Brydon's chat show - an engaging mixture of the comfy and the surreal - returns for a third series. Whether Brydon has been persuaded to part with the bright brown shoes he inexplicably wears with his smart blue suit remains to be seen. His guests include comedian Michael McIntyre, and cheese-making Telegraph columnist and Blur bassist, Alex James, with Scottish singer Amy MacDonald performing her new single.

Rob Brydon interview

Welsh funnyman Rob Brydon talks to TV Times magazine about proving himself as a serious actor in BBC2's The Best of Men, the return of his chat show, his fear of failure and why family will always come first...