Although celebrated for its "eclectic" mix, several well-known artists and bands have been denied an appearance on the series. These include Def Leppard, Marillion, Steven Wilson and McFly. Joe Elliott from Def Leppard said in an interview: "Jools Holland won't have us on his show because we're not cool enough". In 2008, The Guardian's chief music writer Alexis Petridis criticized the series for its "distinct lack of spontaneity" and accused it of not being eclectic enough, instead launching the careers of too many "MOR singer-songwriters".
For the late 2019 series, the format was presented by Jools Holland, but now with a co-host. This now gave the series a vibe not unlike the mid 1980s Tyne Tees Television music series for Channel Four (UK), entitled "The Tube", itself co-hosted by Jools Holland and Paula Yates.