Controversial comedian Frankie Boyle may be in line for a return to the BBC.
Shane Allen, the BBC's new controller of comedy commissioning who worked with Boyle at Channel 4, says he would like to see the comic have his own series at the corporation, despite the outcry it may cause.
Allen told the Guardian: "I'm not going to suddenly stop admiring his unique comic talent because I've switched teams.
"I worked with him at Channel 4 and I admired him, but it wouldn't be my first move to get him on air – it would be quite bold. I want to make sure that we have the right vehicle and the right channel and that Frankie would get all the support from the top down and the thing about Frankie he has gone through a couple of media storms.
"For me, Frankie shares the same provocative, edgy comedy danger that Billy Connolly had early in his career and Billy is now hailed as a national treasure. I think TV can accommodate someone like Frankie now and it's a shame we didn't have more of Billy Connolly on telly in the 70s."
Boyle's relationship with Channel 4 ended last year after a series of paralympic athlete jokes on his Twitter page caused a furore. Channel 4 was the official broadcaster for the Paralympics in London.
