The Assembly review: The only show in which an interview with Danny Dyer could move you to tears - in the right way

To call it a 'celebrity interview show', though, is to do The Assembly a disservice. It's not a 'tell us all about your new film' type thing at all.

There is no gushing here, no expositions on the hidden depths of the latest Transformers movie, no marvelling at workout routines and no questions which lead to the interviewee dancing, singing or unveiling their party trick.

Okay, so David Tennant is asked about his skincare regime - “pretty basic”, as it turns out – but The Assembly goes where other shows fear to tread, and it's much more interesting as a result.

A pilot was aired on the BBC, with Michael Sheen as the interviewee, and for reasons known only The Rest is Entertainment and other network wonks, it has now found itself on ITV.

A “collective of autistic, neuro-divergent and learning disabled interviewers” come together to grill various celebrity guests – this week Tennant, and in the first episode, his Rivals co-star and all-round diamond geezer Danny Dyer.

The celebrities are warned that “no question is out of bounds, no subject is off the table, and anything might happen”.

And while that third assertion might be a little bit of a reach, the first two are definitely adhered to throughout.

That means Dyer is questioned on his wife kicking him out and taking control of the joint bank account, therapy and his dad's secret second family.

Tennant, meanwhile, gets a killer question first up, especially given he is the son of a Church of Scotland minister - “Do you believe in God?”

He's also asked about JK Rowling and his trans-allyship, as well as the a 'cancellation' of Neil Gaiman, creator and writer of his hit TV show Good Omens.

He dances around the edges of those questions, but can't escape the camera, which clearly shows how discomfited he is by the line of the interview.

However, there is no doubt that Dyer is the best value, cheerfully admitting his wife “had every right to kick me out”, and revealing therapy helped him discover why he was so willing to self-sabotage his career as a younger actor.

All the male role models in his life, he says – his dad, his grandfather, the playwright Harold Pinter, to whom he grew close - “either left me or died”, meaning he pushed everyone else away before they did the same.

Along the way you learn about his favourite kebab and his hairy breasts, and how Tennant how Tennant deals with the legacy of Doctor Who.

The cynic in me wonders which questions might have been cut out, despite the opening mission statement, but the celebrities' willingness to put themselves through what must be one of the toughest interviews they've had wins you over.

As do The Assembly themselves – who give such genuine heartfelt responses the stars in front of them you can't help but be carried along by the emotional tide as they all open up to each other.

By the time The Assembly band start singing Sunshine on Leith to a clearly teary Tennant – a song which, by the way, always has me finding something in my eye – only those with the hardest of hearts would fail to be moved.

The Assembly could be a gimmick, but it turns out it's one of the most surprising, emotional and uplifting half-hours of the week.

At the end of his grilling, Dyer tells them: “You'd better be prepared for a bit of fame, you lot, because this show's going to be massive.”

And, through the watery eyes. you can't help agreeing.