Channel 4 has poached Paul O’Grady, which I think is just all-round odd. Surely the only slot he could fill would be Richard & Judy’s, so what will happen to them?

It’s hardly as if Channel 4 have problems filling their tea-time schedule. In recent years, Countdown has been pushed back to mid-afternoon to make space for the seemingly never-ending stream of successful tea time Channel 4 programmes. Then the 6 o’clock ‘happy hour’ is easily filled every day by The Simpsons and Hollyoaks, which has meant that Big Brother’s Little Brother has been scrabbling round looking for another slot because it simply can’t fit in.

The hours between 3 and 7 are surely one of Channel 4’s most successful areas. Do they really need to poach Paul O’Grady? Or are they just doing it to get him off ITV1? Because, apart from Paul O’Grady, ITV1’s tea time is a complete disaster. Just look at what’s there at the moment: Richard Hammond’s 5 O’Clock Show (winner of this year’s award for “We thought of the presenter before we thought of the programme”).

It’s easy to forget that Michael Howard still actually leads the Conservative Party. Whenever I hear him on the radio I visualise him with a jumper on, as though he’s this week’s guest in dictionary corner on Countdown.

Obituary: Richard Whiteley.