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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Graeme Virtue, Hollie Richardson, Hannah Verdier and Ellen E Jones

TV tonight: artist and fourth plinth model Alison Lapper tells her story

Closeup portrait of Alison Lapper.
A remarkable life story … Alison Lapper. Photograph: Harry Truman/BBC/Chalk Productions

In My Own Words: Alison Lapper

10.40pm, BBC One
Marc Quinn’s sculpture of pregnant artist Alison Lapper was a celebration of motherhood and disability, but it outraged many people when it was erected on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2005. She is still angry at the reaction, clips of which she rewatches in this frank documentary, before telling her remarkable and colourful life story. The main focus here, though, is on the beautiful relationship she had with her son, Parys, who died of an accidental drug overdose aged 19 after battling mental health issues. “All the doubting Thomases, they kind of won didn’t they?” she says, heartbreakingly, as she pours her grief into an exhibition of paintings about him. Hollie Richardson

Trump: Should We Be Scared?

10pm, Channel 4
Short answer? Yep. Longer answer? Veteran US watcher Matt Frei grills current and former Trump allies to get a feel for his post-election strategy. Chillingly, if Trump returns as president, it sounds as if there could be a petty but unexpectedly focused policy plan. And if he loses? Well, there may be a contingency plan for that, too, and we might not like it. Graeme Virtue

Jamie: What to Eat This Week – Autumn

8pm, Channel 4
It is the season of sweetcorn, onion and savoy cabbage, and Jamie Oliver is here to make you want to eat it all, even those rubbery outer leaves. Although autumn’s comfort food can be boring, the way he peddles onion soup and cheesy pasta is Oliver at his enthusiastic best after all those air-fryer distractions. Hannah Verdier

The Teacher

9pm, Channel 5
Kara Tointon, Will Mellor and Emmett J Scanlan star in the second series of this psychological thriller anthology, previously fronted by Sheridan Smith. Dani (Tointon) is unhappy with husband Jimmy (Mellor) and starts an affair with colleague Tim (Scanlan). But when a pupil under her care goes missing on a school trip, she tells a lie to cover her back. HR

Mr Bates vs the Post Office: The Impact

9pm, ITV1
In January, the Toby Jones-starring drama about the Horizon Post Office scandal was an impressive reminder of television’s power to effect real-world change. So this documentary is part victory lap for ITV, but also a catch-up on the lives of the post office operators in their ongoing struggle for justice and financial redress. Ellen E Jones

We Might Regret This

10pm, BBC Two
More crude, complicated and cracking comedy about Canadian tetraplegic artist Freya adjusting to life in London with her new lover Abe and personal assistant/best friend Jo. As Abe’s soon-to-be ex-wife continues to be a presence, Freya gets flirty with the director of a Frida Kahlo photoshoot job. Will it kick Abe into action? HR

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