A League Of Their Own

ALOTO producer Jim Pullin dies

Jim Pullin, the Bafta award-winning executive producer of A League Of Their Own, has died at the age of 57.

The sports panel show returns for its ninth series, a boon for those who feel that you can never get too much exposure to James Corden. Despite his new US-based job, Corden hosts proceedings as ever, while regulars Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff and Jack Whitehall are all present and occasionally correct for this opener. They are joined by Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter and comedian Josh Widdicombe, while Sky Sports presenter Olivia Wayne (formerly Godfrey) adds a direly needed female presence to mitigate the bantz.

It's the eighth series of this bantzier, nearer-the-knuckle alternative to A Question Of Sport, hosted by James Corden. For this opener, he's joined by Kevin Bridges, Jack Whitehall, Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff, Frank Lampard and Judy Murray ("Who's your favourite son?"). Among the items is a ribald take on footballers-turned-authors, while the chaps are put through their paces at a tennis training court to play John McEnroe, conducted in a suitable atmosphere of mutual mockery. Tim Henman and Nigel Havers also appear.

Burning questions for the stars

To celebrate the return of the show, we headed out to Elstree to hang out backstage with the boys - James Corden, Jack Whitehall, Jamie Redknapp and Freddie Flintoff - while they prepared for another show.

James Corden wants League of Their Own to go on forever

James Corden wants A League of Their Own to continue for another 40 years.

Poor Jon Richardson. Tonight's guest comic is given the chance of a lifetime: to take a rugby conversion at Twickenham Stadium in front of a capacity crowd. It's a typically blockbuster challenge for this sports entertainment quiz - if only Jon's kicking skills were of the same level. Three disastrous attempts later and the dream has turned into a nightmare, with the Six Nations crowd and host James Corden mercilessly jeering his spindly efforts.

Man City footballer Joleon Lescott is also in the studio. Fair play to the England defender for taking part; shame that when encouraged to get involved by Corden and Jack Whitehall, his quick wit is found seriously wanting.

In what must have been a slow week for the writers, tonight's show seems geared up simply to make regular panellist Jack Whitehall look as weedy as possible. Donning a skimpy training vest, he takes on ripped England rugby international Chris Ashton in a Strongest Man contest, hauling a three-and-a-half-ton truck while being goaded by the obscenely bulky British strongman Jay "Hollywood£ Hughes.

Thankfully, guest Richard Ayoade from The IT Crowd is ready to strike a blow for the physically deficient. "What do you want to know, big man?" asks pundit Jamie Redknapp. "I am neither big... nor a man," replies Ayoade, fantastically puncturing try-hard Jamie's laddish exuberance. Speaking of silly boys, let's get to the bottom of why Ashton thought "dwarf tossing" in the 2011 World Cup was a good idea.

Who knew that gruff football gaffer Sam Allardyce was a fan of Strictly Come Dancing? When the West Ham manager reveals a weakness for the dancing show, fellow guest David Walliams takes him for a spin on the dance floor. The resulting intimate waltz is characteristic of the show: trying to hype up the macho banter but inevitably ending in back-slapping bawdiness. "I can see why they call him Big Sam!" Walliams coos.

In another playful TV rip-off, series regulars have their very own MasterChef challenge. Freddie Flintoff serves a surprisingly bistro-style fish and chips; Jamie Redknapp goes retro with a pineapple upside-down cake; host James Corden cooks an ambitious beef Wellington ("basically a big pasty," laughs Flintoff); and Jack Whitehall hacks at a pheasant carcass.

This is the one with James Corden's face plastered on the bare bottom of One Direction's Niall. Which is a sentence you probably thought you'd never read. Watch the ratings go through the roof of the net as this loosely reffed bout of sporting mayhem also welcomes Niall's pop buddies Louis and Harry into the game - Jack Whitehall is honing the Stylinson gags as we speak - with Sara Cox and Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley also getting in on the action.