Interview: Jason Manford, comedian

So Jason Manford thinks he owes his 'bouncebackability' - to the fact that he can laugh at himself.

Jason Manford performs opera in place of Matt Lucas

Jason Manford rescued an opera performance on his show after guest Matt Lucas pulled out with a chest infection.

Teen-favourite pop punkers McFly are the house band for this episode of the comedian's cheerful weekly mixture of music and comedy. Laughs are provided by prize-winning comedian Zoe Lyons, Julian Clary and regular stand-up Russell Kane, while Little Britain and Come Fly with Me star Matt Lucas and tenor Alfie Boe present the TV debut of The Impossible Dream, their duet cover of the song from Dale Wasserman's musical The Man of La Mancha.

Allegations of sleaze scuppered affable comic Jason Manford's recent move into the mainstream, leading to his hasty resignation from the BBC's The One Show. Tonight's mix of music and comedy shouldn't frighten the horses, though. Manford is joined by Al Murray's Pub Landlord character and laid-back British-Nigerian comedian Andi Osho. Funk star Jamiroquai and mellow singer-songwriter Rumer (who recently won John Prescott's approval) provide the music.

Northern naughty-texter Manford stretches the definition of "rocks" with a musical line-up of crooner James Blunt and drab Iberian ballad prince Enrique Iglesias. Luckily the comedy is much stronger. Russell Kane, Lee Nelson, Pete Firman and Susan Calman join the mighty punster Tim Vine, author of such efficient rib-ticklers as "Velcro: what a rip-off".

Jason Manford rocks fewer than 3m

Comedian's first TV presenting role since departure from The One Show is trounced by BBC1's Hustle with 5.9m viewers.

Having left The One Show in a storm of tabloid publicity about his private life (and texting habits), Jason Manford returns to our screens with this new comedy-music show. Tonight, Manford welcomes a mix of new and established faces, including stand-ups Micky Flanagan and Russell Kane.

Video: Jason Manford: 'Stand-up is my real job'

Jason Manford is back on our screens tonight (14 January) in Comedy Rocksp on ITV1.

It's a new TV show which features other comedians, performers and musicians including The Script, McFly and Enrique Iglesias.

He told Newsbeat that he's getting used to doing television again after quitting The One Show.

Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford was a one-off end-of-the-pier ­special that simply wasn't cut out for telly. This is the 21st Century, where we ­expect short sharp punchy scenes and fast editing. As opposed to a guy from Liverpool doing 10 continuous minutes of stand-up.

OK for a night out. But on a night in... a ­definite no-no. Jason's amusing enough in a gentle sort of way. Jo Brand's a reliable old warhorse. And with throwaway lines like "My granddad was an Elvis ­impersonator - but there wasn't much call for that in 1938", squeaky Joe Pasquale had me laughing out loud.

Some Northern ­comic called John Bishop seemed to believe that blokes don't send text messages. Tell that to Ashley Cole.

All too old-fashioned. Despite contributions from up-to-date ­popsters Scouting For Girls and Pixie Lott, the entire production was like something from a bygone age.

Friday night not at the Palladium.