News

The 1980s was a unique decade for British comedies and films in general, with a golden tinge on the ten-year run that produced some incredible cinematic works. In contrast to many American comedies at the time, the differences between the two are often noted, with British work dripping in irony, satire, and self-deprecation, which create a unique brand of comedy. It was also a time when many of Britain's rising stars and comedians were really coming into their own and blossoming into internationally known talents.

There are many films from the time that stand out as rewatchable British classics, such as A Fish Called Wanda and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. These films represent some of the very best of comedy, from the surreal and absurd sketch comedy of Monty Python to films that lean on social commentary and hilarious premises to provide the breeding ground for comical moments.

“I believe the word we’re looking for … is motherf*cker.”

This was a correct answer to a question on a CNN comedy quiz show.

That’s right, a quiz show.

That’s right, comedy.

That’s right… CNN!

The show is Have I Got News For You, which debuted Sept. 14 and is now streaming on Max. Hosted by Roy Wood Jr. and featuring comedians Michael Ian Black and Amber Ruffin as regular panelists alongside two guests per episode, the program satirizes and reflects on the week’s news. And...

The BBC is developing a sports based spin-off of long running panel show Have I Got News For You, currently called Have I Got Sports For You

Have I Got News For You stands as one of the longest running panel shows on television. Starting in 1990, team captains Paul Merton and Private Eye editor Ian Hislop are still with the show 34 years later. Classic moments include the show where Roy Hattersley was replaced at the last minute with a tub of lard, the show which immediately followed a scandal involving original host Angus Deayton, prompting Hislop to bring in a copy of News Of The World only for Merton to upstage him by getting the front cover printed up as a t-shirt. Then, the legendary 2008 edition hosted by Brian Blessed.

The BBC is currently in the process of developing a spin-off entitled Have I Got Sports For You. It will...

In 2021, Pointless fans had to come to terms with the fact that change is the only constant in this crazy, crazy world when the show’s co-creator and co-host Richard Osman left to pursue other career opportunities such as being an incredibly successful crime novelist, and taking the main seat on his own game show Richard Osman’s House of Games.

Good for Richard Osman, it all seems to be very going well for him. But for Pointless?

Taking its cue from satirical current affairs show Have I Got News For You?, which settled on a revolving carousel of guest hosts when its regular host Angus Deayton was forced to step down instead of plumping for a permanent chair, Pointless has welcomed a series of co-hosts in the past couple of years.

First up were Sally Lindsay, Stephen Mangan, Lauren Laverne, Alex Brooker, Konnie Huq and Ed Gamble. Next came Andi Oliver,...

Angus Deaton has won the Nobel Prize for Economics... not the sort of news you'd normally read on Digital Spy

But the similarity in the Princeton academic's name and that of former Have I Got News For You host Angus Deayton has got Twitter all a-flutter.

There's a turn up - Angus Deaton wins Nobel Prize for Economics. No, not that one....

— Rory Cellan-Jones (@ruskin147) October 12, 2015

Nobel prize winning Angus Deaton to become latest in line of 'not that one's - joins Chris Evans (not that one) & Will Smith (not that one).

— Scriblit (@Scriblit) October 12, 2015

Angus Deaton wins a Nobel Economic Prize- no, not that one.

— Edward Mayes (@eljmayes) October 12, 2015

Nobel Prize of Economics was won by Angus Deaton, star of... Can't Do This. I Know He Is Not That One. I Can't Live A Lie For Comedic Value

— Get Behind Me Cethan (@CethanLeahy) October 12, 2015

It's great to see him...

Sandi Toksvig has claimed that she was rejected as the original host of Have I Got News For You because she was a woman.

The presenter and comedian revealed in an interview with Radio Times that she was overlooked for the position in favour of Angus Deayton in 1990 because the BBC decided it "couldn't have a woman in charge".

Speaking about auditioning for the show, Toksvig said: "They made two pilots, one with me and one with Angus Deayton.

"I was told by the producers that they preferred my version, but the channel decided they couldn't have a woman in charge."

Toksvig also revealed how the decision "made [her] feel inadequate and question whether [she] was really up to it".

She went on to speak about the tabloid scandal involving Deayton in 2002, saying: "I thought Angus was very good and he's an extremely nice chap... but I would not have been caught with either prostitutes or cocaine,...

It was only a matter of time before this was going to happen. Top Gear fans had no doubt expected that the day would come when Clarkson's actions could spell the end of the show altogether.

With Clarkson now heading out the door, this raises the question of what happens next for Top Gear. For less-popular shows it would probably just be quietly shut down, but it's simply too much of a phenomenon around the world that the BBC can't afford to lose. Not without trying at least.

As a long-time Top Gear fan, it's always been a tricky battle for me to separate my love for Clarkson as a presenter and any opinions I may have for Clarkson as an individual. The fact is, despite all the controversies he kept getting into, I still found him hilarious, and clearly millions of other people did too.

However, it appears over...

We asked Den Of Geek’s writers to recommend brilliant comedy shows that deserve to have more of a fuss made about them. Here they are...

Banging a drum about stuff we love is more or less our remit on Den Of Geek - hence what many readers have started referring to as the ‘inexplicably regular' appearance of Statham, squirrels and Harold Bishop from Neighbours on these pages.

To that end then, we asked our writers which comedy shows (past and present, UK or otherwise, on TV, radio, or online…) deserved more praise, and here are the ones they chose. You might already like them too, or you might discover something new to dig out and enjoy. That’s the fun of it.

Please note that this list isn’t ranked in any order, nor is it exhaustive. It’s compiled from the opinions of a group of different people,...

You'll probably only notice when looking up the show on iPlayer, but Have I Got News For You has just completed its 47th series. Forty. Seventh.

18 of those have been without Angus Deayton in the host's chair. After "becoming the story" it was felt that he couldn't continue, but can the revolving position continue spinning forever?

There have been 93 guest presenters and counting, but the news that Rhod Gilbert has taken the central role on Never Mind The Buzzcocks could spur Hat Trick to follow suit for the quintessential panel show.

Alexander Armstrong would be an obvious choice, having played guest presenter 24 times, but we're quite partial to Martin Clunes, who has been a safe pair of hands on his eight outings.

Who do you think would be an ideal permanent host of Have I Got News For You and why?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

Given how the live shows have played out, we're thinking this series of Bgt should be renamed Britain's Got Mainly Singers And Dancers With A Hot Magician And A Crazy Violinist Thrown In.

The warblers and quick-steppers dominate again tonight in the last semi-final, with injury-plagued senior salsa dancer Paddy Jones the main attraction.

Looks like we're gonna have to rely on the wildcard to add some variety to Simon Cowell's variety show. Will the lucky act get announced tonight? Who knows? - it's Britain's Got Talent, anything could happen! Join Digital Spy when Bgt returns at 7pm...

22:00So, there we have it - we have our Bgt finalists. Don't forget, these 10 will also be joined by the Wildcard - they wouldn't go for Jenson Zhu now, would they? Thanks for joining us tonight, gang. We'll see you back here for the final next Saturday. Good night!

21:57Well,...

Pramface has received a new trailer for its upcoming third series.

Scarlett Alice Johnson and Sean Michael Verey star in the sitcom, which sees the pair play young parents Laura and Jamie.

Yasmin Paige, Emer Kenny and Angus Deayton will also reprise their roles for the new series, which was commissioned back in April and is coming soon to BBC Three.

Pramface originally launched in February 2012, with its second series airing in early 2013.

The last series bowed out on February 19 with 580,000 viewers.

"At the end of [the] second series, Jamie and Laura's relationship has changed somewhat from the beginning of the series," star Johnson told Digital Spy in January. "So it would be really lovely... for that to be explored a bit more."

Catch up on all the latest TV and Movies releases in Digital Spy's Screen Time:...

The teenager whose illness is a moving highlight of the director's Christmas documentary is now on the mend

No one who watches Kevin Macdonald's new documentary film will forget the scene: standing at the hospital bedside of his desperately sick grandson on Christmas Day last year, 90-year-old Bill Reid, a former second world war pilot, has only one wish. He asks for the chance to see his entire family together again next Christmas Day. And it seems that, a year on, his wish has been granted.

The sickroom vignette – which shows 20-year-old Will Pope's efforts to speak, as he lies, surrounded by his relatives and attached to life-support machines – forms a key moment in Macdonald's latest cinematic collage, Christmas in a Day, about the British approach to the festive season. The Oscar-winning director, who made The Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void, has put together footage...

Elizabeth Tan says fans can expect a lot of drama from her new 'Waterloo Road' character Princess Windsor. The 27-year-old actress was first introduced towards the end of the last series as Princess, who is married to teacher George Windsor (Angus Deayton), and the brunette beauty admits there will be ''lots of tension'' in the current season. She said: ''Princess has been so interesting and there is going to be a lot of dramas ahead, I promise you that. ''There will be lots of moments between Princess and George, lots of tension as their relationship gets under stress from him...

Martin Freeman (The Office) and pop starlette Mandy Moore play a yuppie couple who experiment with swinging when their sex life hits a plateau. Debut writer-director Jonathan Newman concocts a saucy Brit-sex-comedy that explores both male and female married insecurities while also finding time for a cucumber gag. Louie Spence pops up to offer some between-the-sheets advice while Angus Deayton cheekily sends up his tarnished reputation as a bi-curious wife-swapper.

Let me set the scene for you… you’re sitting at home with friends or family, watching your favourite sitcom when out of nowhere a surprisingly hot sex scene appears. The room goes quiet, everyone starts blushing and you look around to see if anyone noticed it or if you just made it up.

Getting hot and sweaty under the collar while watching TV can be uncomfortable, which is why I propose we celebrate these pause worthy moments together and eradicate all future awkwardness by taking pride in the fact that our favourite characters are finally getting some!

From the obvious to the surprising, this list is proof that sitcoms can be not just funny, but hot as hell!

10. Nighty Night

This wonderfully dark offering from Julia Davis unfortunately ended in 2005 after two series. Nighty Night pushes the boundaries in the case of Jill Tyrell, played by Davis, but this...

Elizabeth

Directed by Shekhar Kapur

Written by Michael Hirst

UK, 1998

The trouble with biopic is that, for the most part, the real life story of the big name doesn’t fit into any kind of cinematic format that we have become accustomed to over the years, and there seems to be a rule that the further back the setting, the more creative license can be employed. Historians may scream blue murder, educated audiences may turn up their nose, but a necessity of storytelling is spinning a decent yarn; hence Titanic, hence Gladiator, hence Braveheart. Approach such material with the perspective of ‘historical fiction’ and chances are you’re going to enjoy the drama of proceedings much more than, say, the damp squib loyalty to fact at the expense of dynamism of this year’s Hitchcock. Taking plenty of liberties but providing a fresh dose of excitement and intrigue to the...

NBC and CNN have both reportedly expressed interest in a Us version of Have I Got News For You.

Cable network TBS previously filmed an unbroadcast pilot for the American series, with stand-up comic Sherrod Small as one of two team captains.

Small told a fan on Twitter that he is unaware of whether TBS plans to pick up the pilot, but claimed that other networks have since expressed an interest in the project.

"Last I heard NBC and CNN are really interested too, so we will see," he wrote. "I'm ready to start taping!"

Us comedian Sam Seder took the role of host in the pilot, with Michael Ian Black as Small's rival team captain.

The UK version of the panel show, with Paul Merton and Ian Hislop as team captains, has been aired by the BBC since it launched in 1990.

Angus Deayton originally served as host, but was...

William Boyd's thriller about a woman who was a former spy explores the effect of secrets on relationships

After her, by now traditional, pantomime dame performance as Lady Mary in the Downton Abbey Christmas special, Michelle Dockery was back two days later as Charlotte Rampling's daughter in another period drama, one that flitted between the 1970s and the second world war. Restless (BBC1), William Boyd's adaptation of his own 2006 novel, was everything Downton isn't: well-acted, well-written, well-paced and well-filmed. And no less enjoyable for it, unless you missed Downton's comedy value. Mind you, I'd be happy to watch Charlotte Rampling reading a gearbox repair manual.

Boyd has written everything from brilliantly funny comic novels to very hit-and-miss serious fiction. But it is as the author of upmarket thrillers – a genre often looked down on by the literati – that he has really come into his own and received...

Angus Deayton has been unveiled as a new addition to the cast of Waterloo Road. The former Have I Got News For You host, who has acted before in comedies such as One Foot in the Grave and Nighty Night, will take on the role of George Windsor. Deayton's character Mr Windsor is a modern languages teacher who is returning to school after travelling for a quieter life. George Windsor's cynical attitudes towards education will be similar to those of veteran English teacher Grantly (more)...

It's been 10 years since Angus Deayton famously departed Have I Got News for You. At the time, the brilliant BBC panel show looked like it may be on its last legs and potentially on the way out. A decade on and the show is arguably as strong as it's ever been thanks to the smart idea of not replacing Deayton with a like-for-like replacement and instead opting to employ a rolling door policy on celebrity guest hosts. Have I Got News for You's most memorable guest hosts - Pictures:

84 different guests have taken the helm and attempted to control Ian Hislop and Paul Merton since Deayton left. Tonight's episode (hosted by Homeland's Damian Lewis) marks the 10th anniversary (more)...

Julia Davis is famous for creating some of the most uncomfortably bleak comedies of recent times. Now the star of Nighty Night is turning her dark powers to period drama in her new series Hunderby

The writer and performer Julia Davis is too good-natured to show it much, but she's plainly exasperated by descriptions of her work as "bleak" or "dark". They make it sound as if she's deliberately trying to be edgy, and this doesn't chime with her sense of herself. She enjoys watching old episodes of Friends, she insists; she's partial to 1980s movies and upbeat self-help books, and when she writes, she just writes what comes naturally. "I would never say, ooh, let's do something really dark," she says. Yet she is responsible for what are, without doubt, some of the most unsettling characters in contemporary comedy: smiling suburban sociopaths; meddlesome cold-eyed narcissists; horrifyingly mistreated spouses whose...

Some have suggested that Have I Got News For You has faded in the years since Angus Deayton left, but it's still capable of pulling out a classic comedy moment every now and again. One such brilliant scene happened on last Friday's (May 25) show, when guest host William Shatner belted out his wonderful cover of Elton John's 'Rocket Man', as first heard in 1978 and reprised for last year's Seeking Major Tom LP. Wonderful stuff, I'm sure you'll agree. As you can see from their reactions, the panellists on last week's show were also pretty impressed. Before the show aired, Charlie Brooker told Digital Spy: "It's going to be very odd. It'll be interesting. He's 81 years old, (more)...

Pramface is a new 6-part comedy series, about two teenagers trying, and often failing, to come to terms with impending parenthood, coming to BBC Three.

Laura, 18, and Jamie, 16, meet at a sixth form party after completing their respective A-Level and Gcse exams. But little can prepare them for the result of their brief, drunken hook-up.

From the moment Laura discovers she is pregnant, the series follows the couple as they face the big moments and even bigger decisions about life and responsibility across those all important nine months.

Scarlett Alice Johnson (represented by United Agents), who played Vicki Fowler in EastEnders back in 2003, stars as Laura Derbyshire, an 18 year old who has everything going for her. After years of conscientious study she excelled in her exams and in a few weeks she’ll be escaping home for university and independence. This is all coming at the right time for Laura,...

Title: Swinging With the Finkels Director: Jonathan Newman Starring: Mandy Moore, Martin Freeman, Jonathan Silverman, Melissa George, Daisy Beaumount, Angus Deayton, Jerry Stiller The idea of sexual swinging, or committed couples swapping partners, opens up all sorts of rich avenues for exploration of feeling, but the London-set comedy “Swinging With the Finkels” does so little of substance or sincerity with the subject that one starts to yearn for the comparative honesty of a lonely hearts drama with a forlorn guy swigging a beer and staring at a computer screen. In fact, the movie evinces no particular reason for existing other than to seemingly provide its pleasant but half-heartedly invested cast with paychecks, and perhaps...

Opening in limited release on August 26th is Swinging with the Finkels, this is a story of what happens after the honeymoon ends and couples get bored with married life. Having met at University, American born Ellie (Mandy Moore) and her husband Alvin (Martin Freeman) are several years into their marriage. The heady sparks of lust and fun have sadly faded and they’re left with the day to day normality of their everyday life.

Advised by best friends Peter (Jonathan Silverman) and Janet (Melissa George) who are having their own marital problems, Ellie and Alvin are desperate to ‘spice things up’.

Having explored various options, including an unfortunate incident with a cucumber as witnessed by Ellie’s Grandfather (played by comedy legend Jerry Stiller), Ellie hits upon the brilliant idea to mix things up with another couple – to have a ‘consensual affair’ within the confines of the marriage.

The...

Watch the first U.S. trailer for Swinging With The Finkels - the story of what happens after the honeymoon ends and couples get bored with married life.

Synopsis:

Having met at University, American born Ellie (Mandy Moore) and her husband Alvin (Martin Freeman) are several years into their marriage. The heady sparks of lust and fun have sadly faded and they.re left with the day to day normality of their everyday life.

Advised by best friends Peter (Jonathan Silverman) and Janet (Melissa George), who are having their own marital problems, Ellie and Alvin are desperate to ‘spice things up’.

Having explored various options, including an unfortunate incident with a cucumber as witnessed by Ellie’s Grandfather (played by comedy legend Jerry Stiller), Ellie hits upon the brilliant idea to mix things up with another couple – to have a ‘consensual affair’ within the confines of the marriage.

The couple...

Life In A Day (12A)

(Kevin Macdonald, 2011, Us)

Compiled from amateur submissions of what people all over the world did on 24 July 2010, this documentary sets itself an almighty challenge. It's fashioned into some sort of narrative order, with recurring themes and music, and moments of emotion and illumination, which saves it from becoming a random global channel-surf. But you could say the subjective "direction" and homogenising technical treatment are at odds with the democratic intentions.

The Beaver (12A)

(Jodie Foster, 2011, Us) Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin. 91 mins

Having crucified Jesus, Gibson now nails himself to the cross in a bizarre talk-to-the-hand family drama that feels more like the actor's own public therapy session.

Green Lantern (12A)

(Martin Campbell, 2011, Us) Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard. 114 mins

Like banks, summer superhero movies are now too big to fail. But will Reynolds's charm, a virtual costume and some interplanetary effects be...

Martin Freeman and Mandy Moore are the couple at the heart of a dire sex comedy littered with listless gags. By Xan Brooks

Short of having a urethral swab or inserting a cucumber up yourself, it's hard to imagine a more queasy form of torture than this dismal British sex comedy – about a man who has a urethral swab and a woman who inserts a cucumber up herself. Martin Freeman and Mandy Moore play an everyday pair of London millionaires who discover problems in the bedroom of their Covent Garden loft apartment. These issues are duly resolved with the most stiff and listless gags this side of the morgue. Spare a thought for poor Angus Deayton, who blunders into one scene naked from the waist down. Spare another for hapless, befuddled Jerry Stiller, who took a wrong turn out of Seinfeld and somehow wound up at the worst party in town.

Maximus became the latest star to forget the papers could actually access Twitter when he called circumcision 'stupid'

The big story

You'd think a man who formed a band called 30 Off Foot of Grunts would have a way with words, right? Not right. This week, Russell Crowe set tongues wagging on Twitter by calling the Jewish tradition of male circumcision "barbaric and stupid", adding: "Hygienic? Why don't you sew up your ass then?" After waking to find the tabloids going nuts, he removed the posts and tweeted: "I have a deep and abiding love for all people of all nationalities. I'm very sorry that I have said things on here that have caused distress." Jewish film-maker Eli Roth, who's directing Crowe in The Man With the Iron Fists, leapt in to lend Russell his PR muscle by chuckling that it was all a joke.

In other news

• Tom Cruise is...

Angus Deayton and Anna Chancellor have signed up to appear in BBC Three's new comedy Pram Face. The six-part series will focus on two teenagers, Jamie and Laura, who meet at a Sixth Form party. However, their lives are turned upside down when Laura discovers that she is pregnant. Sean Verey, who has previously appeared in Skins and Doctors, has been cast as Jamie while EastEnders star Scarlett Alice Johnson will play Laura. Deayton and Chancellor will appear as Laura's parents, while Jamie's mother and father will be played by Ideal's Ben Crompton and The Commitments star Bronagh Gallagher. Yasmin Paige, who (more)...

Lily Allen has married boyfriend Sam Cooper in a ceremony at St James church in Cranham. The 'Not Fair' singer greeted waiting fans and well-wishers as she entered the Gloucestershire village church. She wore a white Chanel wedding dress, and was accompanied by father Keith. Other guests at the wedding included presenter Angus Deayton and Lily's sister Sarah, with whom she runs fashion store Lucy In Disguise. Former T4 host Miquita Oliver served as one of the bridesmaids. "She is very (more)...

The 1990s were Doctor Who's very own Decadus Horriblus (thanks to the Basil Brush Book of Latin for this). Up until 1990, Doctor Who had carved itself a niche in the BBC schedules, usually to worldwide applause, high ratings and positive critical feedback.

And then it all went horribly wrong.

By the mid-1980s, Doctor Who was starting to get out of its depth as a result of a misunderstood Doctor, over-complicated plots and a dash of violence. Cue an extended holiday; but on its return, its reputation was still in tatters. Despite a bold attempt to re-invent itself as a confident, clever show of mystery, the BBC bosses weren't impressed. And so the axe fell, leaving the faithful mob of Doctor Who fans to wait and wonder.

But don't forget – TV programming had radically changed in the 1990s in a number of ways. For one thing, there was an...

Planning logistics and hiring crew for film productions like The Hurt Locker is hard graft with little in the way of glitter, Donall McCusker tells Jill Insley

Most people have pictures of their children, pets and partners on their iPhone. Not Donall McCusker: his gallery includes soldiers hefting large guns, profile shots of Arabic-looking men and perfectly timed snaps of explosions – the kind of thing that would immediately lead to his detention if spotted by airport security staff.

It might take him some time to convince them of his innocence: he was brought up in Belfast and still has a distinct accent which, combined with the photos, might start alarm bells ringing.

But McCusker has the best reason in the world to be carrying these photos: he was co-producer on the war film The Hurt Locker, which picked up six Academy Awards this year, and his photos are all...

Jonathan Ross says that he is "delighted" to be hosting the 2009 British Comedy Awards. Earlier this year, it was announced that Ross would return to present this year's ceremony. The presenter was replaced by Angus Deayton for the 2008 show after he stepped down following his and Russell Brand's prank telephone calls to Andrew Sachs. Ross commented on his return: "I'm delighted - it's the most prestigious awards show in the world. Obama may have a Nobel Prize. But (more)...

Jonathan Ross will return to host the British Comedy Awards on ITV1 this December, it has been claimed. According to The Sun, the long-time host of the ceremony will be paid £50,000 to again front the awards. Ross was replaced by Angus Deayton on last year's show in the wake of the scandal surrounding his and Russell Brand's prank telephone calls to actor Andrew (more)...

Angus Deayton has been tipped to make a one-off comeback to Have I Got News For You next year. The 53-year-old presenter fronted the satirical panel show for 12 years before being axed amid revelations over his private life in 2002. His role is now filled by weekly guest hosts. According to the Daily Express, BBC bosses have agreed to ask Deayton to return for a special episode when the programme marks its 20th anniversary in 2010. An insider said: (more)...

Pozzitive.co.uk is billed as a new online ‘Encyclopaedia Of British Comedy’ and was launched by Pozzitive owners David Tyler and Geoff Posner with the aim of providing a friendly, insider’s-eye view to the wealth of information they have, all of which is now at your fingertips.

Pozzitive is a multi-award winning comedy production company (6 BAFTAs, 6 Sony Awards and 2 International Emmys), and over the years have produced and directed such classic TV , Radio and Online projects as “Spitting Image”, “Coogan’s Run”, “Not The Nine O’Clock News”, “French & Saunders”, “Harry Enfield & Chums”, “Dinnerladies”, “Little Britain”, “The Paul & Pauline Calf Video Diaries”, “Saturday Live Again”, “Radio Active”, “Carrott’s Lib” and “The Young Ones”.

They continue to work on comedy projects such as Armando Iannucci’s ‘Charm Offensive’ and ‘Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation’. They are also currently producing the second series of popular sitcom “Cabin Pressure...

Ian Hislop has said that he used to get on with Angus Deayton but fellow Have I Got News For You panellist Paul Merton never liked the host. Speaking on BBC Four programme Mark Lawson Talks To, he revealed why they both forced Deayton from the show after tabloid allegations regarding his personal life. Lawson said: "It's often said that you never got on with him from the beginning, you and Paul, that there was always some kind of resentment or spikiness. Is that true?" Hislop replied: "No. I mean, I think it's (more)...

Hell's Kitchen star Marco Pierre White has broken his silence over his feud with Angus Deayton. Deayton was axed as host of the ITV1 reality show in February amid claims that he had been involved in "verbal spats" with White behind the scenes. Last month, it was confirmed that Claudia Winkleman would take over presenting duties on the programme. Speaking about the cause of his rows with Deayton, White told the News Of The World: "His humour was forced, and negative. I would be working hard and he would be making jibes at where I came from and my name. "Claudia is naturally funny and the energy around her is much (more)...

Cat Deeley has been approached to take over as the host of Hell's Kitchen, a report claims. The TV presenter, who currently fronts So You Think You Can Dance in the Us, has apparently entered talks with producers following their decision to axe previous host Angus Deayton. A source told The Mail on Sunday: "Cat is really excited about the chance to present such a big programme, even if it means she has to leave America for a few months. "She (more)...

Comic Relief has made a record haul after taking in more than £57 million for charity. The BBC One night of entertainment was kicked off with presenters Davina McCall and David Tennant, who shared an onstage kiss just moments before Angus Deayton accidentally swore live on air two hours before the watershed. In a joke over the former Have I Got News For You star reading out his bank details, Deayton inadvertently said: "Bugger, yes." McCall mouthed the word "sorry" to the camera, while a spokesperson said no offence had been meant. Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield created a Victorian special of Dragon's (more)...

Davina McCall was forced to mouth the word "sorry" to millions of viewers as they tuned into Comic Relief, thanks to a blunder by Angus Deayton. The former Have I Got News For You presenter swore live on air two hours before the watershed, reports Pa. In a joke over the former Have I Got News For You star reading out his bank details, Deayton inadvertently (more)...

Angus Deayton has reportedly been given the boot from the new series of Hell's Kitchen following a series of arguments with Marco Pierre White. ITV executives were forced to decide between the two personalities after their relationship soured beyond repair at the end of the last series. A source told the Daily Mail that a new host will be in place when the cookery programme returns in April. "Marco and Angus never got on and now Angus has been axed from the show," the source said. "He is seething but Granada realised they basically had to choose between (more)...

Controversial star Russell Brand won the Best Live Stand-up prize at the British Comedy Awards last night. The comedian's victory followed the scandal which engulfed himself and Jonathan Ross after they made prank phone calls to Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs on BBC radio. As he was presented with his award in Los Angeles, Brand paid tribute to Ross, who pulled out of hosting the ITV1 ceremony as the row rumbled on. He was replaced in the role by Angus Deayton. Brand said: "I would like to dedicate this award to Jonathan Ross... There are no comedy awards without Jonathan Ross, he is the king-maker." Meanwhile, Ricky Gervais won the Best Television Comedy Actor award for 2007's Extras Christmas Special, and Pulling star Sharon Horgan was named as the Best Comedy Entertainment Actress. Alan Carr secured the Best Comedy (more)...

Angus Deayton will replace Jonathan Ross as the host of the 2008 British Comedy Awards. Ross stood down from his regular presenting role following the fallout from the Andrew Sachs Radio 2 phone prank row. "Angus is simply one of the best," said controller of ITV music and events Guy Freeman. "We always hoped that he would agree to take on the challenge (more)...

LONDON -- Former BBC director-general Greg Dyke will host the hit BBC One satire Have I Got News for You on April 23, the BBC said Tuesday. The BBC fired the show's longtime host Angus Deayton 18 months ago in the wake of tabloid headlines surrounding a sex and drugs scandal. Rather than hiring a new full-time host, the BBC has had a series of guest hosts, including Anne Robinson -- the host of game show The Weakest Link -- and singer Charlotte Church. "Greg is available at the moment and it's great to see him back at the BBC," the BBC said in a statement. Since Dyke left the BBC in the aftermath of Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of a senior government weapons expert and the BBC's coverage of the runup to the Iraq war, he has been writing a book about his four years at the top of the company.

Cross-cultural comedy chat show The Kumars at Number 42 led the field at the 2003 BAFTA TV nominations announced Sunday. The awards, which are the highlight of the annual television year in the United Kingdom, will be aired on BBC1 from London on April 13. Hat Trick Productions/BBC2-produced Kumars was nominated in the best entertainment program category alongside the Open Mike Productions/BBC1 Letterman-style chat show Friday Night With Jonathan Ross and Granada/ITV1's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Kumars stars Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal were both nominated in the best entertainment performance category alongside fellow Hat Trick talent Angus Deayton and Paul Merton, who were named for their roles in the satirical BBC1 panel show Have I Got News for You.