HIGNFY this evening

[Makeitgoaway]

Is basically a group of mates getting drunk together via Skype....and there's nothing wrong with that

they had all arranged their own backgrounds, to avoid showing the disarray and piles of crap in their homes.

only Steph had the foresight to book into a kitchen showroom.

I like amateur look of it, reminds us all that we really are all in the same boat and that the rules apply to the slebs just as much as us slobs.

I think it added to the charm, although it was pretty obvious that Paul Merton has better equipment than the others, the quality of his camera and sound were so much better.

I agree that Miles Jupp looked very different without make up, although that might be lockdown alcohol related, as the mother of 6 I can sympathise with him :o

Interesting how the choices of background reflect the image they want to project of themselves (just like I know I'm conscious of background when I have Zoom work meetings). 2 chose intellectual looking bookshelves, Paul's shelves were DVDs (he's an old film buff and scorns Oxbridge elitism) and Steph's was her kitchen. I wondered if she's trying to show how down to earth and relatable she is in her high spec designer home.

Sorry, 3 chose their bookshelves.

Yes - when your background is being broadcast on live TV - what image do you want to project..

We loved it. Clunkiness, silences, odd backgrounds and uneven noise mixes...

Blue glove and kazoo thing... all really funny in that quiet, between good friends way.

Helen Lewis was a bit of a revelation... silly, quiet humour in front of multiple copies of her new book, and laughed when it was pointed out.

It was as intellectually snippy as usual and I liked the mates laughing at mates sniggling. We don't see enough of that, their obvious joy in the silliness of each other was great!

Switched off before the end, all that forced laughter got on my nerves. Not their fault, it needs an audience, not just them, chortling at their friends' jokes. Didn't work for me.

I enjoyed it, but it really does need audience laughter.