A tight 5: April 25

PAULINE McLYNNE, best known as Father Ted's Mrs Doyle, is joining the cast of EastEnders. She will have a recurring guest role as Yvonne Cotton, Charlie Cotton’s mum, starting next month. Executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins said: 'I have always been a little in love with Pauline McLynn, so I’m so excited that she’s joining the Cotton family.’

FRANKIE BOYLE has pulled out of supporting Glenn Wool on his London dates next month. The comic had been due to be warming up for his pal at the Soho Theatre from May 6 to 10, but tweeted that he would no longer be able to perform as he had 'torn some kind of muscle in my neck'. However, he said he would still be supporting Wool at The Stand in Glasgow on Monday and Edinburgh on Wednesday next week.

THE return of Ricky Gervais’s Derek to Channel 4 attracted 1.6million viewers on Wednesday, up 100,000 up on the first episode of series one last year.

JOHN OLIVER has landed something of a scoop with his new HBO series, Last Week Tonight. Sunday’s opening episode features the first interview with General Keith Alexander since he retired as director of the National Security Agency in October, in the wake of Edward Snowden’s revelations that his organisation had been spying on American citizens.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, the farce with originated on the London fringe, is to transfer to the West End this autumn, once it completes its current 21-week UK tour. It will play at the Duchess Theatre from September 5 to February 1. Review.

Published: 25 Apr 2014