Fighting Talk

Format

Listener participation

Prizes were suspended during Series 5 due to the BBC's blanket ban on hosting phone-in competitions, which came as a result of various phone-in and interactive voting scandals.

History

The first series began in October 2003 and was hosted by Johnny Vaughan. The inaugural show featured a panel consisting of Greg Brady, Will Buckley, Bradley Walsh and the eventual winner, Stan Collymore. After the first series ended in April 2004, Vaughan left to present the Capital FM breakfast show.

Christian O'Connell was the show's second presenter,{{cite web

Colin Murray started presenting the show in February 2006.{{cite web |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/01_january/31/murray.shtml

Murray was replaced by three presenters who rotated hosting duties. O'Connell returned, with commentator Jonathan Pearce and TV presenter Matt Johnson the others for the 2013–14 season.

For two seasons, 2014–15 and 2015–16, hosting duties were shared between presenter Georgie Thompson and comedian Josh Widdicombe. Murray returned to the show on 17 September 2016 and remained until his second departure at the end of the 2022–23 season. Rick Edwards replaced Murray as the show's permanent host.

The "Stuart Hall incident"

Fighting Talk made national news with an episode broadcast on 12 March 2005. The panel consisted of Danny Kelly, Will Buckley, John Rawling and Stuart Hall. Presenter Christian O'Connell asked the panel: "What other former all-conquering nations, clubs or individuals would you like to see have a renaissance?" Hall responded with "Zimbabwe" and criticised President Robert Mugabe, saying "...don your flannels, black up, play leather on willow with Mugabe cast as a witch doctor. Imagine him out at Lord's casting a curse; tincture of bat's tongues, gorilla's gonads, tiger's testicles...". Shortly afterwards, O'Connell was heard to ask studio staff "Are we still on air?" During the same show, Hall was also asked for his opinion on sporting stars acting as role models for young people. In his response, he defended swearing by footballers suggesting that "your average 10-year-old can instruct you in oral or anal sex".{{cite news | access-date = 2 February 2007

Fighting Talk: Any Other Business

A one-off, politics-based show — using the name of *Fighting Talk'''s 'Any Other Business' round — was broadcast on Sunday 17 December 2006 at 19:00, presented by Richard Bacon. A run of four further shows billed as Fighting Talk: Any Other Business were broadcast between 15 July and 5 August 2007. The host was the original *Fighting Talk'' presenter Johnny Vaughan and guests included Alan Duncan, Diane Abbott, Stephen Pound, Arabella Weir and Robin Ince.

Book

A Fighting Talk tie-in book, Fighting Talk: Flimsy Facts, Sweeping Statements and Inspired Sporting Hunches, edited by regular pundit Will Buckley, was published by Hodder & Stoughton on 2 October 2008.

References

References

1. (10 May 2011). "TalkSport leads sporting triumphs at radio awards". Sports Journalists' Association.
2. (5 October 2007). "At a glance: Shows in TV scandal". BBC News.
3. "The Sports Programme Award". Sony Radio Academy.
4. "Christian O'Connell to return to BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk". [[The Guardian]].
5. "Josh Widdicombe and Georgie Thompson to host Fighting Talk". [[British Comedy Guide]].
6. "Josh Widdicombe throws in the towel on Fighting Talk". [[Chortle]].
7. ""It'll never work…." - Colin Murray back on Fighting Talk". [[BBC]] Press Office.
8. Ian Herbert. (18 March 2005). "Bard of the airwaves Stuart Hall stuns show with 'black-up' rant". The Independent.
9. Plunkett, John. (7 June 2007). "Vaughan back at Radio Five Live". Media Guardian.