Frankie Boyle to return with topical chat show

Channel 4 has shrugged off repeated criticism of the close-to-the-bone humour of Glaswegian comedian Frankie Boyle by giving him a new chat show which it describes as "like Wogan but with paedo jokes".

Shane Allen, head of comedy at Channel 4, revealed his plan to give Boyle a pilot of a show called Frankie Boyle's Rehabilitation Programme in a Guardian interview.

The show, to be recorded in October, is still in development, but Boyle will be joined by fellow comedians as guests on a talk show and discuss topical events.

Allen said: "Frankie is just a bit pissed off that he's portrayed as this one-setting shock machine. He's a very politically aware, bright bloke who wants to show his intellectual muscle a bit more."

Boyle has become a bete noire of the tabloids for his sick humour, getting it in the neck for making jokes about Katie Price's disabled son in his most recent series, Tramadol Nights.

Channel 4 refused to apologise after the complaint was upheld by the media watchdog Ofcom.

Indeed, Allen clearly enjoyed the controversial series, telling the
Guardian: "My favourite bits in Tramadol were the five minutes of audience baiting. It's trying to capture that and trying to get into his thought process, and have people on who don't agree, and have him see the transparency of his logic."

He added, jokingly: "[The show] is very much like Parkinson or Wogan, but with paedo jokes." ·