This week's best television includes exclusive performances from the world's favourite singer
Monday
The Secret Life of Books: Swallows and Amazons
BBC Four
8pm
(Credit: BBC/John O'Rourke)
John Sergeant heads to the Lake District to explore the landscape that inspired Arthur Ransome’s treasured children’s tale Swallows and Amazons.
Sergeant will learn how the foreign correspondent, who was an acquaintance of Lenin and Trotsky, carved out a new, more authentic, kind of children’s literature that featured children doing real things in real places.
Tuesday
Footballers, Sex, Money: What’s Gone Wrong?
BBC Three
10pm
(Credit: BBC)
With some professional footballers earning £30,000 a week before they turn 18, is it any wonder that money, fame and sex are often seen to override the beautiful game?
Amal Fashanu looks at what impact the heady world of football has on young men in the industry, and speaks to those in the know to find out how the huge pay and widespread sexual promiscuity available to players might cultivate a degrading attitude towards women.
Wednesday
Toast of London
Channel 4
10.30pm
(Credit: Channel 4/Ben Meadows)
Matt Berry returns as eccentric actor Steven Toast, whose appearance on morning chatshow Lorraine threatens to topple the US government and destroy the entire world.
Toast is struck down with terrible stagefright after learning that his outdoor version of The Scottish Play, led by renowned theatre director Peggy Plywood (Charlotte Cornwell) is to be broadcast live on ITV.
Thursday
Paul O'Grady: for the Love of Dogs
ITV
8.30pm
(Credit: ITV/Olga Television)
Celebrity dog fan Paul O’Grady uses his charm to help the dogs of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home live a more fulfilling life, and bring joy to their new owners.
This week he meets Hayes, a happy and excitable young German Spitz, whose fangy smile is scaring off potential new owners. Can Paul teach the pup how to make a better first impression?
Friday
Adele at the BBC
BBC One
8.30pm
(Credit: BBC/Guy Levey)
In a world-exclusive, Adele returns to the stage for the first time since 2013, performing songs from her new album, 25, and chatting to Graham Norton about her career so far.
The video for her latest single, Hello, gained 27.7m views in its first day online, beating the previous record of 20.1m for Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood.
Saturday
The World's Weirdest Weather
Channel 4
7pm
Our nation is obsessed with talking about the weather, and this latest series will certainly give viewers something to talk about.
From desert hailstorms to seafloor volcanoes, the programme will show eyewitness footage of some of the most spectacular meteorological sights, and use science to explain how they happen.
Sunday
Ireland with Simon Reeve
BBC Two
8pm
(Credit: BBC)
In a new two-part series, Simon Reeve explores the history and culture of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
He starts in County Wexford, fresh off the ferry, to look at the turbulent relationship between Britain and Ireland, ending up in Malin Head, the northernmost tip of the island.
Along the way he meets the people climbing the sacred mountain of Croagh Patrick, and take a paramotor flight along the coastline.
