Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK fires some blankety blanks

One to Watch: The Wonderful World of Crafting, Channel 5 at 8pm

Channel 5 is certainly a network with a wide range of programming. Last night it was kinky sex and spanking and tonight its hobby crafts.

In the last in the series presenter Michelle Ackerley and crafting expert Rosie Wolfenden guide four passionate, colourful and inspiring hobby crafters to the Haddon Hall Craft Fair in Bakewell, Derbyshire.

Brian loves turning old tat into sparkling new items of furniture. Rosie tells him to broaden his range. Oo-er missus. She gives him tips on making a wider variety of pieces and also a few ideas on how to photograph and present his bits.

James and Bridget have an alpaca farm and make yarn by spinning. They are starting to make socks, Rosie advises them to start colouring their own yarn to sell at the fair. Bridget learns about natural dyes, while James rushes to get production up and running on his sock machine.

Mum-of-two Tracey is a paper crafter who makes original items for friends and family. She is a hidden talent who is going to her first-ever craft fair.

Tracey being a perfectionist will make the very best with her crafts, however gives her work away for free, now there is the possibility that her paper pieces may make her money.

Later with… Jools Holland, BBC Two at 10pm

Joining Jools on the second show of the new series are Liam Gallagher, Rex Orange County, Amyl And The Sniffers, Kojey Radical and Celeste. Completing the line-up is singer and podcast queen Jessie Ware, who is co-hosting the Friday night’s hour-long episode and will be joining Jools at the piano tonight for a Sam Cooke classic.

With a reputation for their raucous gigs and penchant for mullets punk rockers Amyl And The Sniffers promise to shake up the studio. The Australian four-piece released their self-titled debut earlier this year, packed with punchy short tracks like recent single Monsoon Rock, it clocks in at a fast-paced 29-minutes long. Jools welcomes the highly anticipated debut of 21-year-old Surrey singer-songwriter Rex Orange County. His forthcoming third album, Pony, was written, recorded and performed almost entirely by the music maestro himself.

Contemporary Renaissance Man Kojey Radical will be on the show to play tracks from his latest EP, Cashmere Tears. The emerging East London rapper is a unique and visually exciting artist who is fast becoming one of the most interesting voices of his generation. Making her debut is promising new singer Celeste, hot off the release of her hauntingly beautiful single, Strange. Born in LA, now based in Brighton via Essex, Celeste draws influence from the greats including Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin, whose records made up her grandfather’s collection.

Bill Turnbull: Staying Alive, Channel 4 at 10pm

In 2017, journalist and television presenter Bill Turnbull was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer shortly after filming The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer. Like many others, Bill chose to ignore the early warning signs and by the time he went to his doctor, the cancer had spread from his prostate to his bones.

He then made the decision to go public in the hope of encouraging more men to get checked. This intimate new film follows Bill over a year as he undertakes a gruelling course of chemotherapy, celebrates the love and support he receives from family, friends and fans, tries cannabis for medicinal purposes and adopts a healthier diet.

Bill meets up with old friends including his former BBC Breakfast co-host Sian Williams, radio presenter Nick Robinson and broadcaster Stephen Fry as they share their cancer notes. Bill also throws himself back into work, commentating on his beloved Wycombe Wanderers and presenting on Classic FM. With the unfailing support of his wife Sesi and their children Henry, Will and Flora, Bill acknowledges that ‘perhaps the most important medicine of all is to have love in your life’.

But as Bill’s cancer continues to grow over the course of the film, will his attempts to manage his terminal illness have any impact?

Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, BBC Three from 8pm

RuPaul’s search for the UK’s first Drag Race Superstar reaches the halfway mark. Over in America, there is the long-running Match Game, here in the UK you’ll know it best as Blankety Blank and regular viewers to the stateside Drag Race shows know only too well our fabulous Ru Paul has given it a twist with Snatch Game.