BCG Daily Friday 3rd June 2011

BGT's Les Gibson: Gonna make a good impression

Impressionist Les Gibson plans to win BGT by mimicking Simon Cowell.

The Trip: Saviour of British sitcom is going to America

Essentially two mates playing slightly embellished versions of themselves, The Trip is to be cut into a 90 minute film for an American cinematic release, here's why it's ace...

Stephen Fry: In Confidence, Sky Arts

When a celebrity lets their public mask slip, something wonderful and also disconcerting can happen: they can noticeably become someone else. If they're lucky, that change can be so marked that they become just another face in a crowd. Of course, if he were in a police line-up, I'm sure I'd have no problem picking out Stephen Fry, but something of that discernable physical shift happened in last night's In Confidence, when Fry appeared in the interview hot seat with Laurie Taylor.

Interview: Royston Vasey (Roy 'Chubby' Brown)

'There was a point in 1969 when I had a choice between being a clean comedian or a blue one', recalls Royston Vasey. 'And now I've made my bed I've got to lie in it.'

Rag Trade star Miriam Karlin dies

Actress Miriam Karlin, known to many for her role as shop steward Paddy in TV sitcom The Rag Trade, has died in London aged 85.

The actress, who became an OBE in 1975, had cancer and died in hospital.

Miriam Karlin obituary

Actor best known as Paddy, the militant shop steward in the BBC's The Rag Trade.

An interview with Dave Thompson

Described as "One of the finest joke writers in the country" by Time Out, oddball comic Dave Thompson is arguably best known for his role on childrens tv phenomenon The TelleTubbies, in which he played the extremely popular Tinky Winky (the purple one).

An interview with Suzi Ruffell

Having only begun stand up in 2008, Suzi Ruffell has made a lot of noise (mainly laughter) in a relatively short (and impressive) amount of time.

An interview with Will Andrews

Will Andrews is a comedian who has performed on stage as both a solo stand up (usually as the character Tony Carter), as well as doing sketches with sometimes-partner Greg McHugh, for the highly praised Will & Greg show.

Win a unique print of Father Jack signed by Frank Kelly

We're celebrating the launch of our brilliant / disgusting new Father Jack Me app, by giving away three signed, framed photographs from the show. The app is for iPhone and iPod Touch and allows you to transform your face into a haggard, blotchy, priest.

Psychoville, 2.5: Say oops frozen head

This penultimate episode of Psychoville retained the momentum of last week and increased the revelations, which made for a very satisfying half-hour. I'm still not finding series 2 as funny as series 1, but I'm glad the story has taken shape recently (after a frustrating post-premiere slump), and looks poised to end on a high next week...

Audio: Stephen Fry on his Hobbit film role

Actor, writer and broadcaster, Stephen Fry, is to play Mayor of Laketown in The Lord of the Rings prequel Peter Jackson is currently shooting in New Zealand.

"It doesn't involve putting hair on my feet. At least, as far as I know," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

He told the BBC's Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo that he plays a corrupt, pompous official.

Fry described the character as being "somewhere between Mayor Quimby in The Simpsons...and Adam West in Family Guy."