Frank Skinner's revived 'Room 101' ends series on low

Frank Skinner's revived Room 101 ended its new series with a whimper last night (Friday, March 9), the latest overnight data indicates.

John Prescott is among Frank Skinner's guests tonight in the last of the current series of Room 101 (BBC1, 8.30pm).

"Labour party legend," is how Frank actually introduces him. Bet he's not been called that before.

And among the former Deputy Prime Minister's gripes? Footballers' goal celebrations. Especially the whole lifting-the- shirt thing.

Frank, who of course is a West Bromwich Albion nut, warms to this theme, pointing out the problem with those celebrations where players have a pre-planned message scrawled on their T-shirt underneath - ready for the dramatic moment when, having hit the back of the net, they can reveal it to the crowd.

His concern is that for some players this wait can be a tad long. "A bloke scored at the Albion about two months ago," he goes, "and his T-shirt said, 'Who shot JR..?'"

John Prescott was once so rude to me when I was a reporter on a local newspaper that, even 25 years later, I can still hear him screaming. He will definitely go into my Room 101.

Lord Prescott, as he is now, of course, wants to dispose of gurning press pictures of himself that make him look stupid, and footballers' silly goal-celebration dances. Oh, and the title "Lord".

Rebecca Front doubtless speaks for good-mannered people across the land when she says she would banish other people's music (leaky headphones, cab drivers playing power-ballad music stations), while Micky Flanagan can't stand celebrity chefs and Americanisms.

Lauren Laverne hates fake tans, square plates and flags ("Nothing good ever came out of a flag: racism, nationalism, Geri Halliwell at the Brits"). Larry Lamb isn't happy about all those trendy, confusing loo signs ("Save it for the jury," retorts host Frank Skinner). And comedian David O'Doherty doesn't like the age 35 - "the first truly disappointing age." "I once went to an 18-30s do," says Skinner. "I got completely mixed up and went as Lord Alfred Tennyson." He's here all week.

If Friday night panel shows are your thing, then you could do a lot worse than this likeable option hosted by an on-form Frank Skinner. Three celebrities compete to banish their pet hates to the hellish environs of Room 101. Tonight, former EastEnders actor Larry Lamb, comedian David O'Doherty and TV and radio presenter Lauren Laverne square off against each other, the last of whom wants to can fake tan ("We're walking around looking like a nation of Oompa Loompas," she laments).

Should Room 101 be banished to Room 101?

I can see why they chose to update Room 101 in this way, especially because panel shows are enormously successful still, but it hasn't really worked for me. If they're going to update the show, why not make genuinely improvements like allowing the studio audience to vote for what gets put into Room 101?

Now revamped as a panel show, Room 101's new incarnation benefits from the boisterous banter between the guests as they compete to have their pet peeves consigned to the dumpster. Tonight's hopefuls include Countdown crew members past and present, with current host Nick Hewer squaring up against the show's former number cruncher Carol Vorderman. Brash comedian Rhod Gilbert joins them as they bemoan personal horrors including advertising slogans, Facebook, and opening ceremonies.

Frank Skinner is going to regret this episode for the rest of his life. Days after the announcement of the comedian's impending fatherhood, he puts "children" in the bin. OK, so he's aided and abetted by Alistair McGowan, who made the suggestion in the first place, but this is going to become top-class emotional leverage for Skinner Junior later on in life.

McGowan does warn us that he's morphed into a latter-day Victor Meldrew, but it's surprising just how angry he seems (perhaps the wind changed when he was filming Grumpy Old Men). Skinner's other guests are Dragon Hilary Devey and singer/songwriter Josh Groban, who can't compete with McGowan's glower.

Gruff-voiced businesswoman and Dragons' Den regular Hilary Devey, impressionist Alistair McGowan and American singer Josh Groban are Frank Skinner's guests on tonight's edition of the comedy panel show. As ever, there are no shortage of pet hates to be discussed, with particular vitriol reserved for supermarkets, the smoking ban and Valentine's Day.

Germaine Greer takes a pop at computer pop-ups (she has no idea what they are) and fun runs, but reveals she's so out of touch with public opinion she gets heckled. Just as well comedian Ross Noble and pop star turned businesswoman Jamelia have more of a common touch as they aim health & safety and txt spk at Frank Skinner's sparkly chute of oblivion. But they're all upstaged by a stonking turn from folk street dancers Time Gentlemen Please!