The Last Leg

Josh Widdicombe interview

Comedian Josh Widdicombe talks to Rupert Hawksley about the new series of The Last Leg, disability . . . and Nick Clegg

Adam Hills worries Paralympic heroes will be forgotten

Comic Adam Hills says last year's Paralympics helped change perceptions of disabled people.

This comedy chat show first saw the light of day as a cheeky late-night companion to the Paralympics last summer. Hosted by Australian stand-up Adam Hills, flanked by comedian Josh Widdicombe and presenter Alex Brooker - and tonight joined by Luther star Idris Elba as a special guest - the show boldly bowls into territory the PC police would declare off limits as it reviews the week's events. During the Paralympics, Hills and co dared to treat competitors as real people rather than brave saints and they encouraged viewers to join in - the show's Twitter hashtag #isitok is still live, so expect to see photos of Paralympic snowmen for openers.

There were many triumphs of the sporting summer but one of the less trumpeted was Channel 4's late-night Paralympic chat show. Free-wheeling and sparky, it felt like a new, relaxed angle on the comedy "gang show", with Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker backing up suave Australian host Adam Hills. Their reward is a series of non-Paralympic, Friday-night slots in which to "celebrate all that is best about Britain". And of course they'll still be asking their fateful, PC-skirting question, "Is it OK..?"

Adam Hills was one of the Paralympics' more unlikely stars, widely praised for his comic yet pointed take on the Games. So much so that this new series sees him being offered the chance to widen his brief: tonight, he'll return alongside regular sidekicks Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker to cast his eye over the last seven days of news. Expect regular updates, too, on Brooker's quest to participate in the Rio Paralympics. Well, as Games aftermaths go, it'll surely have more to recommend it than Tom Daley's Splash - Idris Elba, for one, who is the guest for tonight's opening edition.

Adam Hills: Comedy shouldn't aim to offend

Digital Spy caught up with Adam Hills ahead of The Last Leg's return to talk about whether the Paralympics really had a lasting legacy, his worst ever heckles, and if he finds Frankie Boyle offensive.

Alex Brooker: I was so nervous interviewing Cameron

Presenter Alex Brooker, 28, helped make history with Paralympics comedy show The Last Leg. A new series starts tonight.

Their naughty nightly chat show during the Paralympic Games deservedly became a cult hit. Now likeable Australian stand-up Adam Hills and his two sidekicks, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker, present this weekly live review of the past seven days. Joining them on their opening show is actor Idris Elba.

Thanks to the success that was The Last Leg during the 2012 Paralympics - no less a critic than Clive James said it was almost the best bit of the whole shebang - genial Aussie comedian Adam Hills returns to present a round-up of the week's events in the news. He's joined again by stand-up Josh Widdicombe and sportswriter Alex Brooker. Doubtless their easy-going chemistry and quick quippery will snag them an even sturdier audience than the one they earned over the summer.

Adam Hills to host C4's 'Alternative Christmas Message'

Adam Hills has been announced as this year's host of Channel 4's Alternative Christmas Message.