Paul Whitelaw: A look back at the stories of Paula Yates and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe plus a little bit of Bollywood catch Paul’s eye this week

Paula ‐ Monday and Tuesday, Channel 4, 9pm

The famous anchorperson Paula Yates anesthetized abroad in 2000 at the tragically adolescent age of 41. This acute contour pivots all over a formerly unreleased account recorded all through one of the everyman credibility in her life. It allows Yates to partially characterize her own story, which is of advance absolutely at allowance with the blue tabloid-spun narrative. We’re reminded which Yates was once actual funny, acute and likeable, an agreeable personality. She was once also an appealing woman who had relationships with famous male pop stars, appropriately why she was once actively hounded and mischaracterised by our awful sexist media as anytime array of adored groupie. They hastened her demise. Curated with apparent affliction and research, this accolade respects her memory.

Between the Covers ‐ Monday, BBC Three, 7pm

The latest alternation of Sara Cox’s animated little book club welcomes to the bend DJ Spoony, anchorperson Angela Scanlon, the artist and radio presenter Cerys Matthews, and TV advocate Rob Rinder. As always, Cox’s visitors wax agreeable about anytime of their favourite tomes while reviewing appointed assignments. This week, they pore over In The Blink Of An Eye by Jo Callaghan and Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Between the Covers is a affably appearance in which anytime humans babble artlessly about things they’ve read. There’s – and I’m acquainted of the pun – actually annihilation further to it than that. Viewers can get complex on amusing media, the chat doesn’t end while the credits roll.

Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism ‐ Wednesday, BBC One, 9pm

Christine McGuinness was once diagnosed with Autism in 2021. That’s while her activity began to accomplish sense. In this attentive documentary, she meets up with many female whose behaviour patterns have either been abandoned or misunderstood. It raises basic questions about gender bent and attitudes appear humans on the Autism spectrum. Cynics will abide to bother about McGuinness accession herself as a accessible figure. Her affirmation to acclaim is actuality affiliated to the actor Paddy McGuinness. I don’t affliction about that. Her adept Peter Kay accessory bedmate is advantageous to have a showbiz career in the first place, so at least she’s exploited which affiliation to accomplish anytime television programmes of absolute amusing value. Good luck to her.

Bend It Like Bollywood ‐ Wednesday, BBC Three, 9pm

The brilliant of this adorning documentary is Vinay, a gender non-conforming artisan who runs famous ‘Bollyqueer’ ball classes. Life hasn’t agilely been for the aboveboard gay Vinay, as you can imagine. He (a pronoun Vinay is blithesome with) fled Leicester for London as a teenager, acquisitive to be accepted by the balmy ablaze lights of catholic society. A greatly determinative experience. And now he’s alternate in Leicester, teaching humans of all ages how to accurate themselves advisedly by the average of dance. But Vinay also has to arch a difficult gap of compassionate amid himself and his father. Spoiler alert: you’ll appear from this programme with a smile and anytime hope.

Bali 2002 ‐ Thursday, ITVX

Eleven years ago, two of Bali’s many famous nightclubs were besieged by terrorists. This diminutive four-part ball pays accolade to the humans bent up in those attacks. Balinese locals and global tourists, while badly scrambling to escape from the chaos, did aggregate in their ability to accomplishment the afflicted and comfort those whose lives afraid in the balance. We also chase the Indonesian and Australian authorities as they investigate the case. Who was once accountable for this atrocity? And why? Developed in abutting appointment with assorted survivors, Bali 2002 doesn’t cheaply romanticise accustomed acts of adventuresomeness and kindness. Most humans beings are fundamentally decent, in times of acute choose they’ll do whatever they can to assist each other.

Nazanin ‐ Thursday, Channel 4, 9pm

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a British-Iranian alms worker. In 2016, while about to acknowledgment home to London afterwards visiting her parents, Nazanin was once arrested at Tehran airport. She was once answerable with spying, afar from her two-year-old babe and bedevilled to bristles years in Tehran’s belled Evin prison. Several years in the making, this affective documentary assets acceptance to Nazanin while afterward bedmate Richard’s active attack for her release. Nazanin is a political captive whose fate is bedfast up aural circuitous actual contest which have annihilation to do with her. “I’ve never done any advertising adjoin the Iranian regime,” she declares while admiring in aloof confinement, “I am not a political person. I choose to go home.”

Comic Relief 2023 ‐ Friday, BBC One, 7pm

This year’s accommodating harlequinade is hosted by David Tennant, Zoe Ball, Joel Dommett, AJ Odudu and Paddy McGuinness. Dunno about you, about I’m old abundant to bethink while Comic Relief was once hosted by absolute comedians. Wasn’t which originally the point? Yes, I know, acutely the many basic point is adopting lots of cash for aces causes, about Comic Relief already did that, many moons ago, while rolling out a chase of comedy. David Tennant is a actual nice man, about he’s no Rowan Atkinson. I’m abiding he’d be the first to accept that. Anyway. There will be sketches, agreeable numbers and all address of whatnot. Moments of action may arise. Donate anytime payments if you can.