For as long as there’s been television, there’s been talk – in many ways the formative influence on the small screen wasn’t film, but radio. But the modern chat show was forged in the age of mass television and the rise of celebrity culture in the later 20th century. Ready access to generations of stars and insatiable public curiosity about them has made chat shows a gift that keeps giving. For broadcasters, of course, stardom is an easy route to audiences. For guests, a seat on the armchair or sofa is a chance to self-promote, to plug a new film, book or record... or to rescue a flagging career. Audiences, meanwhile, can hope for a surprise revelation, a glimpse of the ‘real’ person behind the celebrity mask, or just enjoy the illusion that these sparkling stars are guests in our own living rooms. We can chart the changes in the celebrity weather through decades of chat show guests. We might recognise the Hollywood stars, pop icons or sporting legends who made up the ‘A-list’ of decades ago, but often it’s the less guarded ‘B-listers’ (or below) who can intrigue us most, with a well-turned story, a flash of wit, or an insight into what it’s like to live a life in the public eye.