The Now Show comic axed for more women and minorities

The BBC was at the centre of a damaging diversity row last night after one of its top radio stars was sacked for being 'white and male'.
BAFTA award-winning comedian Jon Holmes was axed from The Now Show - the hit Radio 4 programme he has appeared on for 18 years - when bosses told him 'we're recasting it with more women and diversity'.

Now Show axes Jon Holmes and Mitch Benn

Jon Holmes and Mitch Benn have been axed from Radio 4's The Now Show - in the name of diversity.

Interview: Hugh Dennis

"It's not good for my image but I like cardigan's."

Radio Times review

Hugh Dennis and Steve Punt are the perfect hosts for this satirical minefield of a series. They have done it long enough to know when they are teetering on the edge of a brilliant gag or crossing the line into the darkest areas of BBC Compliance.

But they also have a crack production team to thank for this show's success -- it's recorded on a Thursday evening, editing starts at 9am on Friday and it's ready for broadcast at 6.30pm. And it is also a producer I have to thank for informing me that Hugh Dennis is only absent from this first show and back for programme two.

There was a smart little sketch on The Now Show about NHS data, its sale and distribution, its users' choices. In a very few minutes it managed to be factual (the NHS intends to sell its clients' data, protected by pseudonymity but we can opt out) and entertaining (the ultimate deadline for opt outs is April so we'll probably put off doing anything for now). The joke was that however indignant we get about something the temptation to do nothing usually prevails. I laughed a lot. This is me to a T. I thereupon resolved that, when my leaflet advising me on the choice arrives, I will make a decision and act upon it at once.

Production Blog: Editing The Now Show

Cut to 9am Friday morning. Today's job is to digitally assemble the programme, edit in retakes, add extra music and sound effects and cut last night's recording down to 28 minutes for broadcast at 18.30.

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis embark on a new series of live satire with the Olympics as the butt of the jokes. It could be the athletes, it might be the BBC's coverage or perhaps even G4S's security service that feels the sharp end of their javelin-sharp wit.

The Now Show 2012 - Live!

You may be aware that a small event is launching on Friday night.

A mainstay of Friday nights (whenever The News Quiz of the Edinburgh Fringe isn't on), Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis's satirical comedy returns for its 37th series.

Along with other regulars Mitch Benn and Jon Holmes, this week's guests were Pippa Evans and John Finnemore. While all had their strengths, my favourite moment was Finnemore's routine about the Eurozone crisis using what was described as, "the longest, most torturous and yet simultaneously the most over-simplistic analogy in Now Show history."

One of the other things I found enjoyable was the show's coverage of the Diamond Jubilee, mainly due to the fact I got just about all of my jubilee coverage from satirical shows. It's less tedious and more spiritually up-lifting than watching the news. I'm not a monarchist - I couldn't care less about some posh lady in a rather fancy hat - so for me this was a nice way of getting all the news while cutting out all the rubbish filling-in that TV channels feel they need to do.

The Now Show proves once again that it's a highly competent satirical comedy that could well continue for another 37 series...