Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Diamond geezer Olly Murs warms things up in the studio tonight when he pops in to give a live performance of Dear Darlin' for the ever-appreciative Carr. Also venturing into the chatty zone are former Corrie and jungle celeb Helen Flanagan, along with actors Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong - two of a handful of stars from The Hangover Part III who are doing the chat show rounds tonight - check out Graham Norton (BBC1, 10.35pm) for the biggies.

Any excuse for a Specstacular with Carr: now he's going all horse-themed for the Grand National. There's a tasty spread of guests, including Paddy McGuinness, Jonathan Ross and Kimberley Walsh, plus a look at Alan's day at the races with Russell Brand. Equine fun and games are promised, so let's hope the affable host manages to cajole a pair of guests into a pantomime horse costume. Surely X Factorists Louis Walsh and Rylan would be game for a laugh?

Carr stopped Russell Brand picking up girls on his show

Randy Russell Brand tried to pick up girls in Alan Carr's studio audience after his appearance on Chatty Man - until the paranoid chatshow host stopped him.

Friday night is chat-off night as Alan Carr giggles back into action. Slipping into a slot just 35 minutes before Graham Norton on BBC1, Carr's got the advantage for his tenth series, welcoming popster-cum-crooner Robbie Williams, together with a trio of Comic Relief fund-raisers - Jack Dee, Dara O'Briain and Mel C. And if new dad Robbie starts talking nappy changes, you can always hop channels to see if Graham Norton's craic is any better than Carr's.

Alan Carr has, almost by stealth, become part of the TV furniture. He returns for another series tonight, knowing he'll have to be at his chattiest if he's to get a word in edgeways. Robbie Williams is in town, talking about fatherhood and his forthcoming stadium shows - once he gets on a roll, he takes some stopping. Robbie's also going to be singing a new song, Be a Boy, which is a disappointing development. Elsewhere, odd trio Jack Dee, Dara O'Briain and Melanie C will be discussing their recent voyage down the Zambezi River in aid of Comic Relief. Chatty, man.

Friday night has become Chat Night on television, what with Graham Norton, Piers Morgan and his Life Stories and now a tenth series of Alan Carr: Chatty Man. Carr is an amiable presence who plays it for laughs. These should be plentiful as his first guest is Robbie Williams, a man not known for his bleak introspection. Williams will be singing his new single Be a Boy and giving us the lowdown on his life, which seems to be rather happy since he married girlfriend Ayda Field and became a dad to Theodora Rose.

Alan Carr interview

Alan Carr's cheeky personality means that there's never a dull moment on Alan Carr: Chatty Man, which is about to notch up a 10th series.

Last year's specstacular saw Alan do impressions taking the mickey out of easy targets Cher Lloyd, the Beckhams and Wills and Kate.

This year he'll be getting up to more festive fooling around, party games and sketches with the help of his guest mates.

Former Radio 2 pal Melanie Sykes, Jonathan Ross, Jimmy Carr, Jack Whitehall, Christine Bleakley, Gok Wan and Bruno Mars join in the New Year fun.

Then there's Rylan Clark - one of the few guests who can make Alan look butch by comparison.

The line-up might not be as A-list as Graham Norton's, but this is exactly the kind of party you'd want to be invited to.

Effusive chat fountain Alan Carr invites the famous, including Jonathan Ross, Jimmy Carr, Rylan Clark and Bruno Mars, to his NYE celebration. Of all the staying-in options, this one sounds the most festive thing to have on in the background while you're working your way through bulk quantities of prosecco and peanuts. Then at ten to midnight Channel 4 turns itself into a nightclub. Charlie Sloth hosts six hours of DJ sets and shout-outs for the young and vigorous who are having house parties up and down the land.