Never Mind The Buzzcocks has confirmed its return to UK screens, with Courtney Love and Beth Ditto among famous faces joining the panel.
The iconic music trivia panel show will be making its return for the fourth season later this year, and will see comedian, actor and presenter Greg Davies return as host.
He has been in the role since the reboot of the series was announced back in 2021, and he will now be joined by former Taskmaster co-star Sophie Willan. She will be filling in for Daisy May Cooper as a team captain. The other team captain will be regular panellist Noel Fielding.
With the latest season set to air on Sky Max and NOW TV, Never Mind The Buzzcocks will see a host of high-profile musical guests join the roster. These include Hole frontwoman and grunge icon Courtney Love, who will be joining for a rock episode, Gossip singer Beth Ditto, Spice Girl Mel B and Little Mix’s Perrie.
“I am genuinely thrilled to be returning to the mayhem of Buzzcocks but realistically who reads these press quotes and why?” Davies said, as per Digital Spy. “Watch the show please and in between episodes get out into the air, talk to your partner, read to your children. Live, for god’s sake live.”
Sky executive Phil Edgar-Jones continued: “It’s the starriest line-up you could hope for this year on Buzzcocks with something to satisfy every musical taste from the ‘90s through the noughties via boy and girl bands right to the present day.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is coming back to Sky Max and NOW for its fourth series later this year! Greg Davies will host with Noel Fielding and Jamali Maddix returning.
Daisy May Cooper will depart as a permanent team captain, replaced by a number of guests for themed specials.… pic.twitter.com/4PGeZlPNda
— TellyMix (@tellymix) July 18, 2024
“Throw in a healthy dose of unpredictability and mad comedy and you’d got the perfect fourth album.”
The series originally aired on BBC Two and ran from 1996 up until 2015. The hosts were Simon Amstell, Mark Lamarr and Rhod Gilbert. It was rebooted by Sky in 2021, where Davies took on hosting duties.
Around the time of the revival, the comedian spoke to NME about taking on the role, and reflected on what the show meant to him.
“I enjoy the chaos and chaotic side of what we’ve produced,” he said. “What I love is that musicians are not arriving with their slick PR machines – they can’t hide behind a way that they’ve previously presented themselves. Mercifully, all the guests we’ve had on were great – so natural and fun and I hope they relish getting to show a different side of themselves.”
He also explained how he managed to discover a lot of new talent through the slot. “The excitement for me as host is that I get to meet up-and-coming musicians I didn’t particularly know the work of like Aitch the rapper, but then there are nostalgic moments for me like having Shaun Ryder and Bez on, where – as a huge Happy Mondays fan – I was transported right back to the ‘90s.”