In a new series for the W channel

David Baddiel, Ellie Taylor, Matt Richardson and Roisin Conaty are to become agony aunts for a new TV series.

The W channel is launching Celebrity Advice Bureau in December with The Royle Family actor Ricky Tomlinson and Cold Feet's Fay Ripley also part of the line-up.

Three hour-long episodes will be made with the celebrities trying to solve problems ‘ranging from the everyday to the downright bizarre’, according to the channel. ‘Drawing on their personal experiences of disguising killer hangovers, changing dirty nappies at 3am and seeking revenge on cheating boyfriends the celebrities in the advice bureau will show themselves to be as flawed and as frank as the rest of the viewing public as they weigh up each dilemma.’

Also taking part are Safeword host Rick Edwards, My Dad Wrote A Porno reader Alice Levine, TV presenter Laura Jackson, X Factor judge Louis Walsh, plus Richard Madeley and his daughter Chloe.

Producers at Voltage TV say: ‘The advice that the bureau dishes out could be wise, poignant or just plain bonkers. Either way it is guaranteed to be hilarious.’

The show will be stripped over three nights from December 18.

Time Out magazine regularly uses comedians as guest agony columnist, while Graham Norton doles out the advice for the Daily Telegraph. Jack Dee’s Help Desk was based on a panel of comics offering tips, helpful or not, to solve audience’s problems; while Danielle Ward’s panel show podcast Do The Right Thing which also features agony aunt elements, is being piloted for TV.

Celebrity Advice Bureauwas commissioned by UKTV's Hilary Rosen. It is exec produced by Voltage's Jon Alwen and the series producer is Chris Little.

Published: 18 Oct 2016