I bumped into the comedian Nick Wilty at the funeral of legendary comedy club mover and shaker Emma Emslie last week. I wish now I'd asked him if he has ever been invited to appear on the show with the title that when shortened, is his surname. I guess life is full of regrets. Maybe next time. 

Anyway, a new series of Would I Lie to You? is always a joy. You never know what yarns people are going to come up with in this Call My Bluff about stories rather than words. The first show in the new run features Chris McCausland, John Cooper Clarke, Caroline Quentin and Judi Love. Plus, of course, regular verbal sparring regulars Rob Brydon, Lee Mack and David Mitchell. 

Stand-up comedian McCausland, who is blind, is getting some much-deserved good exposure on TV at the moment, appearing on various shows including the recent series of Live at the Apollo. Caroline Quentin is often seen on property programmes these days but is most famous for starring in Men Behaving Badly. Judi Love is on so many shows at the moment her answerphone message must be "yes, I'll do it."

And John Cooper Clarke? Well, what can you say about the living legend that is John Cooper-Clarke, from punk poet to the nation's most unlikely national treasure via some pretty colurful and scary episodes which he may or may not mention on this programme. I strongly recommend that you read his autobiography, I Wanna Be Yours. If the bard of Salford tells a story on Wilty about guns and buying hard drugs in New York (as mentioned in his book) then I think it may be true, but somehow I don't think he'll be doing that one on primetime TV.

I still think they should get Nick Wilty on though.

Would I Lie To You?, Fridays, from January 7, 8.30pm, BBC One.