Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Sunday 10pm, ITV1

Posted by Jane Murphy

Remember when Ulrika Jonsson was the No.1 female star in the country? Nope, me neither. But Piers Morgan insists this was once the case - so who am I to argue? However, where the tabloid press is concerned, Ulrika's undoubtedly impressive TV career has always paled into insignificance compared to her numerous high-profile relationships.

Need a recap? She's now on to her third husband, and - much to Middle England's horror - she's had four children by four different men. There was also a spot of "slap and tickle" (her words, not mine) with Prince Edward, a fling with a Gladiators star and an ill-fated engagement to footballer Stan Collymore, which ended when he physically assaulted her in a crowded bar.

Oh, and let's not forget the romance with fellow Swede and former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. What exactly was going on there?

If only Piers had dispensed with his unnecessary habit of "bigging up" his guests with a stream of hyperbole at the start of each show, he may have had time to delve a little deeper into the events that shaped Ulrika. As it was, last night's whistle-stop tour through Ms Jonsson's life story was fairly short on new revelations, merely revisiting some of the scandals already discussed in detail following the publication of her 2002 autobiography, Honest.

Still, perhaps mindful of the free publicity he could gain with a revealing soundbite or six, Piers did choose to linger over a candid chat about Ulrika's "date rape" experience, which took place in a hotel room when she was 19.

"I actually don't think he realised what he'd done," Ulrika said of her attacker. And how did she feel afterwards? "I was in physical pain. I felt a bit foolish. I felt I'd allowed myself into a situation which I shouldn't have. I blamed myself, as I had done with most things that happened in my life."

Ulrika's clearly a very complicated person, who's led a very complicated life. I certainly don't think she deserves the criticism she's attracted for her lifestyle choices - and nobody can deny that, above all else, she's proved herself to be a caring, devoted mother. But she's still a mass of contradictions: on the one hand, she denounces the "ugly infidelity" that led to the collapse of her first marriage, but then she giggles her way through reminiscences about her affair with Sven.

Ultimately, you either love her, hate her - or feel completely baffled by her. Which camp are you in?

Picture: ITV

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The Truth About Super Skinny Pregnancies, Thursday, ITV1

Posted by Liberty Jones

Basking in the glow of new motherhood wasn't an option for Louise Redknapp. When the star began filming this documentary about the pressures on women to shed baby weight, she was about to give birth to her second child. A mere nine weeks later, she was scheduled to do a shoot for underwear giant Triumph. It was, she admitted at the start of the show, "like a big dark cloud swirling above my head."

Unlike 2007's The Truth About Size Zero, Louise didn't starve herself to get back in shape – but, it emerged, there are plenty of women who do. According to one expert, as many as one in 20 women could be putting their unborn child's health at risk by extreme dieting during pregnancy – so-called "pregorexia".

Louise met one woman who, despite being two weeks away from giving birth, had put on just eight and a half pounds – and no wonder when her horrifying diet consisted of eating one apple every two days. Louise – who, at roughly the same stage in her pregnancy, had put on two and a half stone – was so shocked by what she heard she promptly burst into tears.

Some women take even more extreme measures. Later, Louise travelled to California to meet Jocelyn who, just five months after giving birth to her second child, was planning to obliterate all signs of pregnancy with a "mommy makeover". Despite being a UK size 10, Jocelyn wasn't happy with her body and so, in a gruelling 10-hour, $20,000 operation, she underwent a breast lift, tummy tuck and liposuction.

Fifteen weeks after giving birth, Louise was still carrying some extra baby weight, but she'd become much more relaxed about the issue. "Making this film made me realise how ridiculous it sounds when you're neurotic about your weight after you've had a baby," she said. "As women, we just need to chill out and be who we are."

Picture: ITV

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The Mentalist, Thursday 9pm, Five

Posted by Will Parkhouse

Our rating:

I've always wondered what would happen if Derren Brown decided Channel 4 wasn't big enough for him and started using his awesome powers of psychological illusionism for evildoing. Presumably he'd have his hands on millions of pounds and would have recruited an army of hypnotised mercenaries before you could say, "look into my eyes…"

Five's glossy new US import – we know this is a quality drama, because its supporting cast includes two 24 stars and one former West Wing actor – imagines what would happen if Derren had the sunswept good looks of a Lost cast member and got a job as a homicide detective in California.       

The Apprentice: series five, week one

Posted by Stewart Turner 

It’s only the first week, but have we already found this year’s heir to the Katie Hopkins Throne of Evil? With her piercing, blue-eyed icy stare, raven-black hair and permanently pursed lips, Debra Barr looks to be a formidable opponent. And she's not afraid of a fight. Indeed, dastardly Debs seemed to positively relish last night’s boardroom battle, if only because it gave her a chance to show off the shiny new trouser suit she picked up from Zara for the occasion.

As this season's 15-strong bunch of budding tycoons set about bellowing out the usual guff about giving 110%, a number of pressing questions immediately sprang to mind. Does Ben really think making money is better than sex? And has he borrowed Raef Bajyou’s lucky braces to wear for the rest of the series? Have Oasis record sales really slumped so much that poor Nicole Appleton has to find work with Amstrad to pay for Liam Gallagher's new desert boots? And does science teacher Noorul, a man with an accent that makes Sir Alan sound like Brian Sewell, really think he sounds posh? Hopefully the next couple of months will reveal all.

Dispatches: Confessions of a Nurse, Monday 8pm, Channel 4

Posted by Jane Murphy

Having spent much of the afternoon sitting in a hospital outpatients' department where a handful of nurses dashed around dealing cheerily but efficiently with everyone who came in, I wasn't relishing the prospect of watching last night's Dispatches.

Hospitals can be frightening, depressing places: whether we're popping in for a blood test, checking in for major surgery or visiting a friend or relative, the vast majority of us can't wait to get out again. So what must it be like for the nursing staff who spend their working lives in such a highly emotive setting?

In the wake of last week's damning report into the "appalling failings" at Stafford Hospital, this timely documentary sought to lift the lid on what working life is really like in NHS hospitals.

It made very scary viewing. A specially commissioned survey of 1,000 nurses and midwives found that 40% have experienced situations when patients' lives were put at unnecessary risk. Around 55% have shouted - or witnessed a colleague shouting - at patients, and 8% have seen colleagues turn violent. A depressing 22% of nurses admit they've been forced to ignore patients - often, it seems, because they're woefully understaffed.

Amid the scary statistics and anonymous testimonials from those surveyed were several heartbreaking tales from bereaved relatives, many of whom gave damning first-hand accounts of the effects of NHS neglect, alleged malpractice and underfunding.

Perhaps most telling of all, though, was the finding that 33% of those surveyed would leave nursing if they could. Now, I imagine most nurses initially see their profession as a vocation: it's a job you do because you really care about other people and want to make a positive difference to their lives.

So what happens to make a third of them grow to hate the job and want to get out? Understaffing? Low pay? Long hours? Unreachable targets? The list of negatives is ridiculously long - and for all our sakes, it's something that can't be ignored.

Picture: Channel 4

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Chris Moyles' Quiz Night, Sunday 10pm, Channel 4

Our verdict:

Posted by Stewart Turner

Crop circles, unidentified flying objects, and the enduring popularity of Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles – just three of the great mysteries of our age. Last night, scientists at Channel 4 ran a series of tests on the latter by devoting 50 minutes of Sunday night TV to the man they call Moylesy, presumably to see if hosting one of the biggest piles of steaming nonsense ever to air would manage to dent the big man’s stock.

Have you ever popped into your local pub for a quiet pint only to find you’ve stumbled into a ropey quiz presided over by a question master with about as much charisma as a half-eaten packet of pork scratchings? Well, it seems that’s the experience the producers of Chris Moyles Quiz Night set out to emulate. The show saw three hapless celebrities – Mark Ronson, Louis Walsh and Barbara Windsor, all of who are doubtless on the phone firing their agents this very minute – compete against Moyles in a “current affairs” quiz, with Sharon Osbourne helpfully asking the questions on a pre-recorded video.

Dancing on Ice, ITV1, Sunday

Posted by Liberty Jones

After ten weeks of trips, stumbles, injuries, indignities, laughs and lifts, the final of the ice dancing extravaganza finally arrived. It's been pretty obvious from the get-go who was the best celebrity skater – the big question was, would Ray Quinn's shiny halo slip at the last hurdle?

The celebs' first challenge was to master the art of flying. Pivoting at the hips on two strands of cheesewire is no easy task, but Donal MacIntyre made it look effortless. Despite saying he felt like a "dodo" in the air at the start of training, he won his first 6 of the series – from Ruthie Henshall, who admitted, "I wasn't expecting you to be as graceful as you were."

Jessica Taylor overcame her fear of heights to deliver what Karen Barber described as a "stunning" performance. Just for once, Jason was in agreement, declaring: "What I loved about that was that you actually emoted throughout."

Given that Ray suffers from motion sickness, it was hardly surprising he found this week's required element a challenge. There was no sign of queasiness on the night, however, as he bagged his second perfect score of the series.

Round two saw the celebrities performing their favourite routine. We were thrilled when Donal chose his 'Everybody Hurts' number, which moved us even more second time round and earned the undercover reporter 25.5, his best score to date.

Jessica plumped for her 'Mercy' routine, just pipping Donal by half a point. "I love the fun and confidence you bring to the performance," was Nicky Slater's verdict. Jason Gardiner was less forgiving, insisting Jessica still lacked the "wow factor".

Reprising his dance from eighties' week, Ray scooped his third (count 'em) perfect score. Needless to say, the singer was a dead cert for Bolero – and we couldn't have been happier when Donal also went through. Jessica may be a better skater, technically speaking, but the County Kildare boy has real heart – and that's something you can't learn.

With the voting slate wiped clean, Donal was first out onto the ice.  He put everything into his interpretation of Bolero, which Robin Cousins described as "controlled and precise", but "lacking in passion".

In the end, however, the night belonged to Ray, whose Bolero was, quite simply breathtaking. "I've been dreaming of this moment from the beginning," the singer said as he held the trophy aloft. As the series drew to a close, we were left wondering what on earth we're going to do with our Sunday nights from now on.

Picture: ITV

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Paris Hilton's British Best Friend, Thursday, ITV2

Posted by Liberty Jones

Paris Hilton's British Best Friend has been our dirty little secret for some time now. We know everything about the show is wrong – the shallow, over-excitable contestants, who make the Big Brother wannabes look like Nobel Prize winners, the premise itself - which is, let's face it, morally repugnant. Not to mention Paris herself, who's given vacuous blondes everywhere a thoroughly bad name. And yet, despite all this, we haven't missed a single episode.

Last night's grand final didn’t disappoint. With four contestants still in the running, Paris was forced to send one home before taking the remaining three back to LA with her. We desperately wanted conniving Kat to go, but in the event it was dear, sweet little Carrie who went scurrying back to Somerset with her tail between her legs. "I love you so much and I think you're so beautiful and so sweet," Paris told her. "Almost too sweet for LA. I'm scared they'll eat you up." That's if the other contestants didn't eat her first.

So that left Kat, Samuel and Emma to fight it out in the US. Their week-long jaunt began with a tour of Paris's luxurious home in the Hollywood Hills. The trio were frothy-mouthed with envy as she showed off her jaw-droppingly enormous walk-in closet and the miniature castle in the garden where her dogs sleep. "I've always been a cat person, but now I'm a dog person," Emma revealed as she frolicked with the pampered pooches. Now there's a girl who knows which side her bread's buttered.

One of the toughest challenges came when the contestants were introduced to one of Paris's oldest friends, Alison – and she was a woman who didn't mince her words. "So you're Kat, the stripper," she said to lapdancer Kat. "Did you show your titties?"

We could hardly bear to watch as the three finalists gathered on a windy rooftop to hear their fate. Thankfully, common sense won through, as Paris chose Samuel as her British best friend – the only contestant who, in our opinion, didn't have an ulterior motive. We fear the 19-year-old office worker may be a tad disappointed when he discovers that what being Paris's BBF actually means is signing a contract to make a certain amount of public appearances with her. But hey, that's what real friendships are made of… aren't they?

Picture: ITV

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Wendy Richard: To Tell You The Truth, Thursday 8pm, BBC1

Posted by Liberty Jones

When much-loved actress Wendy Richard was diagnosed with cancer for the third time in January 2008, she decided to make this no-nonsense film, designed to help dispel the fear of chemotherapy and encourage others to have the potentially life-saving treatment.

"I want to show people that chemotherapy is not a death sentence – it is medicine and it saves lives," the 65-year-old star declared. "You must never give in – you have to fight. I'm not going to feel sorry for myself; there are thousands of people across the country going through what I am… some worse than me. I'm just going to get on with it."

And get on with it she did. Indeed, one gets the impression that, if anyone could've beaten an illness through sheer force of will, it would've been Wendy. As actor James Alexandrou, who played the actress's on-screen son Martin Fowler in EastEnders, told her: "If I had cancer, I'd be scared of you."

The film followed Wendy and her husband John during the final months of her life, and what came across more than anything was her unflagging sense of humour. "I have very delicate veins," she explained as the chemotherapy nurse inserted a canula in the back of her hand. "I think it's because I'm so high born."

Of course behind the humour lay the moving story of one woman's battle for survival. One of the most poignant moments came as Wendy explained the importance of never appearing in public looking ill. “You’re there to give hope and encouragement to other women going through the same thing,” she said. “So even if you’re just popping out to the shops, you want to look your best.”

Sadly, Wendy didn’t live to see the documentary broadcast, but it remains a testament to her warmth and courage. She may be gone, but she certainly won't be forgotten.

Picture: Rex Features

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The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Sunday 9pm, BBC1

Posted by Jane Murphy

Move over, Miss Marple! Following the success of last year's one-off drama, Botswana's top lady detective is back for a six-part series - and the Sunday evening TV schedules are looking all the better for it. Judging by last night's opener, there's just the right balance of mystery, intrigue and humour to keep us tuning in for the next few weeks.

Jill Scott is perfectly cast as super-calm super-sleuth Mma Ramotswe - although Anika Noni Rose very nearly steals the show as Mma Makutsi, the agency's uptight secretary with a heart of gold. Together the two women form the perfect double act - watching one another's back and playing off each other's strengths, while keeping their distance emotionally. (The new Morse and Lewis, anyone?)

This first episode saw Mma Ramotswe investigate not one but three cases, with a little help from her friends. A lost dog was duly found and returned to his owner. A missing husband was located inside a crocodile. And the reasons behind a dentist's "definitely disturbed" behaviour were uncovered following a foray into neighbouring South Africa.

Still, it's not necessarily the crime-solving that holds the programme's greatest appeal. Shot in an almost cinematic way, The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency conjures up the colours, noise and beauty of its Botswana setting perfectly. The characterisation is spot-on, the script is polished, and the quirky originality of Alexander McCall Smith's books - from which the series is adapted - translates effortlessly to the small screen.

I really don't think there's anything not to like about this series - other than the fact it only lasts for six episodes. A classic in the making? Very possibly.

Picture: BBC

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