I like him and think he's quite a good pundit definitely growing into it.
It's not a god-given right to get into broadcasting and it must be incredibly competitive. People need to set themselves apart he seems to be working very hard at it. He's definitely improved in the few years he's been doing it. He's got a very clear personal style / brand, whatever you want to call it, and I think it's earned him his place on a panel. Broadcasters take the need to appeal to a broad range of viewers much more seriously than they used to. Personally, I like the mix.
Fair play to him. I don't care who he chooses to be star struck by - he's paid to do a job and he's doing it. Is he supposed to diss his employer's choice of (highly paid) guests?