Never mind the guesthosts

It's a crying shame Simon Amstel left as the regular host for 'Never mind the buzzcocks'. I liked him better than Mark Lamar even, and he perfectly encapsulated the show's stated goal of puncturing pop star egos. There is nothing funnier than seeing ridiculous, manufactured pop acts being confronted by the level of hostility and sarcasm he brought to the game. Noel Fielding is about as good a replacement for Bill Bailey as possible (though Simon has him pegged in the video) and Phil Jupitus is exactly the same, dependable and solid, but not spectacular. The only one of the guesthosts that was as menacing and hard was Frankie Boyle of all people. He'd do an okay job, but seeing as he stopped at mock the week because the amount of jokes being censored, I doubt he'd do it. I hope the BBC doesn't go for a permanent guest, It hasn't done 'Have I got news for you' any good, there has to be a good presenter and good regulars /team captains. They ensure the pace and a consistent level of quality. For every Boris Johnson as host, there's a ton of forgettable turns for comedians who are funnier in their own stuff or politicians who shouldn't be there. The panel show is a rare animal, really only thriving in Britain, and I think it has a lot more to do with regulars and host than guests, however funny.