Never Mind the Buzzcocks is now into its 13th year but in the wake of Simon Amstell’s departure is its popularity dying down?
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy game show based largely around pop music. It has two teams competing, currently starring Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains, with celebrity guest stars for the other team members.
Simon Amstell began hosting in 2006 and was popular for his sarcastic and scathing attacks on fellow contestants. He left in 2008 leaving the show with no permanent presenter and it hasn’t quite been the same since. It’s just not quite as funny, not quite as sarcastic and not quite as rude.
Since then the programme has had guest presenters each week to varying success. However the previous two episodes did recapture a bit of the magic with guest hosts Dermot O’Leary and Frankie Boyle. However I am still baffled by Carol Vorderman’s appearance on last week’s episode, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone more out of place.
Some of the best appearances on the show have to be boy-band Blue’s Antony Costa and The Ordinary Boys’ Samuel Preston. Neither were quite able to handle the banter on the show. But while Costa simply sat there and sulked, Preston actually stormed of set after Amstell began reading from Chantelle’s book and had to be replaced by a member of the audience.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is shown on BBC2 on Wednesdays at 10pm. The next show’s guest host is David Tennant and other guests include Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate.
Frederica Dixon