Billy Connolly's World Tour of New Zealand (BBC1 Sat); X Factor (ITV Sat); I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! (ITV Sun): Following his ill-advised comments about the death of Ken Bigley, Billy must be wishing he could jump back on his bike and head back on this New Zealand tour (Sat BBC1).

This is a tried and tested formula for Billy - a tour video of his act interspersed with people and places of interest he meets along the way. He has an obvious affection for his wife's birthplace and proves there is more to the country than farming and the set of Lord of The Rings.

The holiday programme aspects of the show are interesting with Billy eel fishing and looking at ancient cave paintings but he comes into his own on stage.

His trademark non-pc humour is as funny as ever and he makes few changes to his act to appeal to an international audience.

Billy may have lost fans recently but his comedy is timeless and if you have ever laughed at the Big Yin you would have found it hard to keep a straight face.

There was no danger of faces cracking on X Factor (Sat ITV) this week when the insipid Cassie was shown the door.

Simon Cowell has desperately been trying to prove that this show is different to Pop Idol but at the end of the day we are watching wanna-bes who will probably go the same way as the likes of Michelle McManus and Hear'say.

The main difference with this show is the judges' vested interest in the acts.

Their petty squabbles and infighting have meant this show is less about music than anything that has gone before.

The judges want to score points over each other and are voting accordingly - hence some great acts have been shown the door and we are still left with the bizarre Rowetta and modern day Flying Pickets - G4. It was good to see Sharon Osbourne sticking to her guns and refusing to vote one of her acts off this week and Simon for finally putting his ego second and getting rid of the weakest act.

But at the end of the day all the judges agree that Tabby is the best talent on the show - so why not wind the whole thing up now - give him a recording contract and see if he can make his name?

If he does fail to light up the music industry, Tabby could always head to the jungle for a future series of I'm A Celebrity (Sun ITV).

The producers really have got to the bottom of the celebrity barrel with this series' contestants - does anyone really care what an ex-lover of Jodie Marsh has to say?

No doubt we'll all be addicted by the end of the run but can I suggest in future they pay a bit more to get some bigger stars otherwise we could have them under the Trade Descriptions Act.

Published: 22/11/2004