Review: Colin Murray's welcome return to Fighting Talk

The presenter is back doing what he does best.

Review - 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.

It'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.