Toby’s Sherlock shocker

Toby Jones says he’s staggered by the reaction to him becoming Sherlock baddie Culverton Smith (above) in the New Year’s Day episode. ‘People who I thought were perfectly rational have got very, very excited about it. I’m naïve, I probably should have expected it. When I was the voice of Dobby in Harry Potter, I had people weeping on the other end of the phone!’

Reality series Corfu Cookery School is in doubt because one of its stars, Rory McGrath, is due in court accused of stalking a woman, a charge he denies. The Channel 5 series, which also features Jo Wood (above), sees celebs cooking local food. ‘Its fate is under discussion,’ says a source.

Joanna Scanlan says that playing DI Viv Deering in Channel 4’s police comedy drama No Offence, which returns in the New Year, has helped her in real life. Says Joanna, ‘I love that she knows what she wants and demands it. I feel more confident when I’m playing her. I channel my inner Viv when I’m not sure what to do.’

Romesh Ranganathan has landed a pilot for his own BBC2 topical show, That’s It For The Week, after the comedian’s previous series, Asian Provocateur, was a hit. The new show will be a mix of satire and sketches with comics and celebrities. A source says, ‘It’s a big show and we have high hopes for it.’