This romance plays handsomely to the masses in the pit, with Tom Stoppard's quill-sharp script melding major life events of the bard with the writing of Romeo and Juliet. There are puns, pratfalls, tears and laughter, and a cast that revels in it, from Joseph Fiennes's Will to Gwyneth Paltrow's muse Viola.

Joseph Fiennes (where's he been lately, eh?) is the titular playwright, here a struggling up-and-comer suffering from writer's block on his latest script, provisionally titled Romeo And Ethel, The Pirate's Daughter. What with women being forbidden to act on stage, Shakespeare casts a youth called Thomas Kent as Romeo, only to discover 'he' is actually a rich man's daughter (Gwyneth Paltrow).

However, their true love instantly hits obstacles: he's poor and already married, she's betrothed to Lord Wessex (Colin Firth) and, from thence onwards, the course of true love never runs smooth. It's brilliantly witty, light and packed with superb performances including Judi Dench who won a best supporting Oscar as Queen Elizabeth despite only being on screen for eight minutes.

Jogging into the studio for a chat we have the Olympic gold medal-winning legend Mo Farah - shouldn't he be getting an early night ahead of Sunday's London Marathon, even if he's only doing half?

Also in the running are Not Going Out main man Lee Mack and Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow - who's doing the promotional rounds for Iron Man 3.

All three guests are game for a laugh, so it's just as well synthpop duo Hurts are on hand to calm things down with their music.

Stars gather for Channel 4 stand-up cancer telehon

Gwyneth Paltrow is teaming up with Channel 4 to help launch a Comic Relief-style telethon in aid of cancer research... Hollywood star Gwyneth is championing the fundraiser which has already had two successful runs in America.

Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow make a fine couple in this imagining of Shakespeare's life when he was writing Romeo and Juliet. It's packed with historical half-truths and amusing theories, although none are as far-fetched as the one in new film Anonymous, which suggests that Shakespeare's plays were written by the Earl of Oxford.

He might divide opinion like no other person on television, but even his fiercest critic will admit that the BBC will sorely miss Jonathan Ross when he quits in the summer.

Ross has been the nation's leading chat-show host ever since Michael Parkinson hung up his microphone in 2007 and when it comes to snaring the biggest names in showbiz, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross is in a league of its own.

Such is the show's popularity, that even the volcanic eruption in Iceland a few weeks ago couldn't prevent Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow and Demi Moore from appearing on the show - albeit via a live satellite link.

Savour every moment as Friday nights could be devoid of laughter on the BBC when our gregarious host leaves in the summer. Ross was all smiles as he announced his decision to leave the Corporation after 13 years, despite media reports suggesting that his departure was acrimonious and couldn't speak more highly of his employers, singling out his Friday night chat show as the one show he'd miss the most.

"While there [at the BBC] I have worked with some of the nicest and most talented people in the industry and had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest stars in the world, and I am grateful to the BBC for such a marvellous experience. I love making my Friday night talk show, my Saturday morning radio show and the Film Programme, and will miss them all."

It's safe to say we will miss his risque humour and cheeky grin on a Friday night, so let's hope that when this series concludes it's not long before he is back on our screens doing what he does best - poking fun at A-list celebrities and making us laugh.