Last night's TV: Hotel Babylon

Hotel Babylon, in a puff of vapid nothingness, is back on our screens. But what's this I see rising above St Paul's Cathedral? A plume of dark smoke? An attack on London? Is there a new seriousness to Hotel Babylon? Are they taking on the big issues, like terrorism? Hey, but guess what a terror attack on London is a good excuse for? A party!

Abi Titmuss 'Hotel Babylon' Interview

Former nurse and glamour girl Abi Titmuss has become a nun. No, the Celebrity Love Island and lads' mag favourite hasn't given up flashing the flesh for a life of celibacy and solitude, but she can be found donning a habit on this week's episode of Hotel Babylon.

Hotel Babylon, BBC1's celebrity-sprinkled, glorified soap, is back for a third series. So far, this stilted comedy drama about preposterous shenanigans in a five-star hotel has proved remarkably popular. The programme may be in for a struggle, though, now that it has lost its best star, the sexy Tamzin Outhwaite. Max Beesley, her erstwhile henchman, now promoted to hotel manager, has never exactly oozed leading-man charisma, and he failed to electrify in last night's opener.

Still, there was something sneakily enjoyable about the episode, which pivoted on the unlikely possibility that vain receptionist Anna (Emma Pierson) cared about fair-trade garment manufacture. Although it was the incidental trivia rather than the plotline that provided the amusement. "Sorry I'm late, I had an early morning dental appointment," said head of housekeeping Jackie (Natalie Mendoza), as she tumbled in, dishevelled, to a meeting. "Oh you poor thing, did you get drilled?" fired back Anna.

Perhaps Hotel Babylon's secret is that it offers a parallel universe where we can laugh at people who behave with a shamelessness we secretly rather envy.

For trashy fun, 'Hotel Babylon' is worth checking into

A review of Hotel Babylon from America.

Livin' it up at Hotel Babylon

The Scotsman finds some real-life comparisons to Hotel Babylon.