Two appearances: 15 October 1996 (source) and 19 March 1997 (source).
13 October 1996, Ian Parker in The Observer
Oddballs (ITV, 8.30pm) returns tonight, hosted by Eamonn Holmes, who looks more and more like Robert De Niro in King of Comedy and who goes ’Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha’, as if paid by the Ha. First, cheerleaders; then a tragic Eamonn monologue; and then video clips of sporting slipups streaker on pitch, pole vaulter impaling himself, and so on with a comedy musical accompaniment. And then a guest arrives, in this case Barry McGuigan, who shadowboxes his way to a sofa (’Good to see you, Champ’), and starts on his chatshow stories. But these stories are interrupted by more clips (’Well,’ says Eamonn, ’I’m sure Barry has been hit a couple of times in his career, but at least in his line of work you’re expecting it …’). This is repeated with other guests. It’s the format from hell television from another country, another age. When poor Dermot Morgan from Father Ted does a little standup interlude halfway through, he starts by saying, ’I can’t believe this is me on Oddballs’, which must be the first thought of anyone who has ever become involved.