Fighting Talk
- Radio panel show
- BBC Radio 5 Live
- 2003 - 2022
- 742 episodes (19 series)
Long-running panel show on Radio 5 Live focusing on the volatile world of sport. Four guests join the host to chat about the week's stories. Stars Colin Murray, Christian O'Connell, Josh Widdicombe, Georgie Ainslie, Jonathan Pearce and more.
Press clippings
Fighting Talk among shows moved from 5 Live due to Ukraine coverage
Fighting Talk is among some of the non-news/sport programmes being dropped from the radio this weekend at BBC Radio 5 Live to allow the station to continue its news coverage of the situation in Europe. Several shows are being made podcast-only instead.
Radio Today, 25th February 2022Comedies nominated in Audio & Radio Industry Awards
The nominees for the Audio & Radio Industry Awards 2021 (ARIAS) include The Musical Life Of..., Sketchtopia, The Skewer, Jason Manford and the podcasts Alan Partridge: From The Oasthouse and Kim Noble: Futile Attempts (At Surviving Tomorrow).
British Comedy Guide, 21st April 2021Comedy.co.uk Awards 2020 shortlist
60 TV and radio programmes have been shortlisted across 10 categories for the Comedy.co.uk Awards 2020. Voting is now open to determine the winners.
British Comedy Guide, 11th January 2021Comedy.co.uk Awards 2018 shortlist
The shortlisted TV and radio shows for the Comedy.co.uk Awards 2018 have been announced. 60 programmes are now in the running for the Comedy Of The Year title.
British Comedy Guide, 21st January 2019Comedy.co.uk Awards 2017 shortlist
The shortlisted TV and radio shows for the Comedy.co.uk Awards 2017 have been announced. 60 programmes are in the running for the Comedy Of The Year title.
British Comedy Guide, 15th January 2018Review: Colin Murray's welcome return to Fighting Talk
The presenter is back doing what he does best.
David Hepworth, The Guardian, 8th October 2016Colin Murray returns to Fighting Talk
Colin Murray has been named as the new host of Fighting Talk. He returns to the radio panel show after three years away.
British Comedy Guide, 13th September 2016Fighting Talk hosts step down
Josh Widdicombe and Georgie Ainslie are stepping down as the hosts of Radio 5 Live's panel show Fighting Talk.
British Comedy Guide, 9th August 2016Review - Fighting Talk: BBC Radio 5
Do you like sports? Do you like fun? Do you like quizzes where the answers regularly come from the obscure depths of miscellaneous knowledge? If the answer to these questions was no, then what on earth do you do for fun? If the answer was yes, however, then BBC Radio 5's Fighting Talk is the radio show for you.
Charles Nurick, The Student Newspaper, 1st February 2016It's never wise to announce that the new presenter of a programme is "comedian so-and-so". You're more likely to decide for yourself when someone is funny rather than take somebody else's word for it. Being told somebody is a stand-up usually makes you determined not to find them funny. Nonetheless, in line with the Corporation's present policy of ensuring that most radio shows are fronted by either television actors or comedians, the new presenter of Fighting Talk is Josh Widdicombe, who'll share his position with former Sky Sports anchor Georgie Thompson.
There's nothing on British radio quite as divisive as this comedy chat format, which solicits opinions on the sporting stories of the week, handing out "points for punditry". In a good week, they'll have guests such as Bob Mills, Martin Kelner and Eleanor Oldroyd, people who know how to tiptoe up to the precipice of scandal and then retreat before they end up in trouble. This has resulted in some fairly hair-raising moments in the past, even when the presenters were experienced self-op radio hands such as Colin Murray or Johnny Vaughan. There's a world of difference between a presenter who can be funny and a funny person who can present. It should be interesting to see how Widdicombe handles the job.
David Hepworth, The Guardian, 16th August 2014